


Home Is Where Family Is

by Kimbit47



Series: Jane & Annabeth [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:24:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 67
Words: 165,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9218966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimbit47/pseuds/Kimbit47
Summary: What would happen if Shepard had had a sister. What if the events of Mindoir drove them apart to be raised by two different men only to be reunited within the Alliance. How will love and family play its part in the battle for the galaxy?Follows cannon with some AU aspects.BioWare owns the rights to the story and characters that appear within this fanfic.**Editing in progress!**





	1. Chapter 1 (Annabeth)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic so please feel free to give comments and criticism to help you enjoy the story more!

“I can’t believe that in two years you will be starting Basic!” Annabeth said sitting at the foot of Jane’s soft comfortable bed.

“I know!” Jane replied, “But hey, only two years after that you will be joining me right!?” Jane said smiling from around the partition wall that separated the main room from her closet. Living on a Colony world, most people thought that you had small shitty prefabs but not here. Mindoir had a collection of small farm style homes that you could easily find on Earth if you went into the countryside. This home happened to be laid out quite simply with both Jane and Annabeth’s bedrooms on the top floor while their parents were on the main floor along with the living space and only bathroom. It was small, yes; shitty, no. It was perfect small town living.

“Yeah, yeah but you’ll have already started saving the galaxy without me.” Annabeth says, sad that it would be so long. Both Jane and Annabeth had wanted to join the Alliance ever since they found out that their mother had served. It was a few years ago when they had stumbled across Hannah Shepard’s old uniform and when the girls had asked their mother about it they had been fascinated about the stories she told. She told them about traveling the stars and the people she met and even told them how Hannah had met their father while on shore leave. Ever since then the girls put all their effort into their school work and physical education just to make sure that they would be ready to join.

Jane came out from behind the partition wall wearing the most stunning green dress. It was the sort of green that enhanced her pale skin and brought out the green in her eyes and made her fiery red hair pop. It was knee length with a sweetheart halter top that was form fitting up top and flowing on the bottom. It was gorgeous. Annabeth tried to chase the sadness out of her eyes as she saw the dress but when their eyes meet Annabeth knew she had failed.

“Hey” she said coming to join Annabeth on the bed. “I know that once we are both done training that we will be together fighting the good fight, right?” She assures as she slowly runs her fingers through Annabeth’s long caramel coloured hair.

“Yeah, your right.” Annabeth replied hoping that she sounds more convincing then she felt. It would be a long two years without her but even Annabeth knew that there was no guarantee that they would be together once they were both enlisted anyway. Deciding that the topic and gotten too serious she changed the topic back to the matter at hand. “Your dress looks fabulous but the way. John will love it.” Annabeth say meaning every word.

A smile lights up Jane’s face as she stands to look in the mirror “You really thinks so?” The insecurity in her voice was palpable.

“Hell, if he doesn’t try and cop a feel I would say he isn’t interested in women.” Annabeth jokes causing Jane to laugh as she turned around throwing a pair of socks at her from the open dresser.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sifting through a mountain of makeup and jewelry to try and match Jane’s dress. After she was ready and Annabeth had grabbed them something to eat, Annabeth went downstairs to the living room where their parents are waiting. Thankfully they had given both girls a reprieve from their chores around the farm so that Annabeth could help Jane get ready.

“I am proud to present to you the one and only, beautiful Jane Olivia Shepard!” Annabeth announced as both their parents cheer. As Jane slowly walks down the stairs their mom started to film the moment as she tried, and failed, not to cry.

“You look amazing Jane.” Dad said beaming up at Jane and Annabeth could help but agree.

“Thanks Dad! But I can't take the credit, this is all Annie.” She states in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Hey, you are beautiful without my fashion sense and make-up tips okay! All I did is make you shine!” Annabeth says smiling as they start to laugh. Even though Annabeth was the younger of the two sisters, she was the one with the fashion sense. Jane was a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl but when it came down to it, Annabeth knew that Jane liked to get dolled up; she just didn’t know how to do it without help. As the group apprised Jane, they heard the back door open and in walked John looking handsome in a three-piece suit.

“Wow!” He said as soon as he saw Jane and turned to Annabeth “I never thought I would ever see Jane in a dress. This must be your doing.”

Everyone laughed as Jane threw her arms in the air. “Maybe I choose to wear the dress. Did you ever think of that?” She asked in what Annabeth knew was supposed to be a hurt and frustrated voice.

John, knowing he needed to tread carefully, put on as strait of face as he could and replied, “Of course Jane. But then I remembered that you’re you and that you hate everything to do with fashion and make-up which is only part of the reason why I love you!” He stated as he looked at her with teasing in his eyes but Jane just rolled her eyes and mumbles something along the lines of “your right it was Annabeth” which causes everyone to laugh again. Jane smirks at the response as she finally gets to John’s side.

“Alright, you two know the rules be back here by no later than midnight or there will be hell to pay.” Dad said in his customary good-bye to the two of them. Jane gave everyone a hug, and before she let go of Annabeth she whispers “Thanks and check your room!” She pulled away with a wink of her eye and left. Annabeth cocked her hip and smirks not knowing what could be in her room but if she knew Jane it means trouble.

Annabeth made a quick retreat upstairs telling Mom that she needed to study for a test that was to take place on Monday and made her way to her room. As Annabeth entered it she sees a little black dress laid out with a note on top that reads: ‘You have 15 minutes to get ready and meet us by the tree.’ Annabeth stifles a laugh that almost spilled from her mouth. She had to be quick and quite so as not to attract her parents’ attention.

A few minutes later Annabeth jumped down from the tree by her window that let her escape unnoticed by her parents and races to the meeting spot. Jane and John are there waiting as promised and they started to head towards the dance.

“You look lovely, Annie” Jane said as she gave her a once over. Now if it had been anyone else, Annabeth would have killed them, but it was Jane and Jane was allowed to call her Annie; in fact she was the only person who was allowed to call her that. Annabeth didn’t really have a reason why she allowed Jane to use that name, frankly Annabeth hated it, but for some reason it sounded right for Jane to call her that.

“Thanks” Annabeth replied, “There wasn’t much time and the climb down the tree was a little treacherous but with a little help from my biotics I made it.” She smiled as she thought of the tingling sensation that her biotics brought when they spread across her sink.

Jane's head snapped hard to the side giving her a hard look. “Annie! Don’t say that so loud! Do you want to be taken away do you!?”

Annabeth could see the fear in her eyes and knew that she had fucked up. “Sorry J, shit... It… It just came out.” Annabeth tried to hide the small shutter of fear that ran down her back. She knew that she didn’t hide it well but at least she didn’t trip and fall.

“It’s okay. Sorry, I just overreacted that’s all… Now let’s focus on how to get you into the dance.” Jane replied as she forced a smile onto her face. Annabeth could tell it was forced but she decided it was best to let the matte drop.

“Don’t worry,” Annabeth said with a smirk, “I can get in and out of anywhere with my ability to fit into small spaces and the fact that I am as quiet as a mouse when I want to be. This will be easy!” They laugh because they all know that if it wasn’t for her biotics, Annabeth would have more than likely been some sort of spy when she joined the Alliance.

\--

By the time Annabeth snuck her way into the dance, everything was in full swing. The music was pumped up with techno beats and the dance floor was packed. Jane and John were nowhere in sight but that was no big deal. With Annabeth only being thirteen she was technically not supposed to be there. The age cut off for the dance was fourteen but no one would say anything since she would be turning fourteen in two months and most of her friends were there. It was a fun few hours of dancing and hanging out but when she looked at her Omni-tool and saw that it was 2230 hours she decided it was time to head home and face the music, knowing full well that her parents would have figured out that she wasn’t at home. She had left a note but she had still snuck out which is a big no, no.

As she was walking, Annabeth notice that someone was lading at the docks. It was strange since it was rare that any ships would come in at this time of night. She decided that it was probably someone who was looking for fuel or something and didn’t know that they would have to wait until morning to get service but she couldn’t help the growing feeling that something was wrong. Then it hit; the first exposition that rocked her world. Annabeth turned around to see the building she had just been in was in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank anyone who reads this and I hope you enjoy. I don't have anyone reading this before posting so all spelling and grammar are my own. Please fell free to let me know about any mistakes and I will update them as soon as possible! :)


	2. Chapter 2 (Jane)

“I’ll see you later” Annie called as she headed off to find a way to get into the dance. Jane watched her leave not knowing how she will get in but knowing that she will. Annie had always been able to get in and out of anywhere without being caught. Knowing Annie, she would never use her abilities to do something bad like steal but every time she left to do something like that, Jane would worry.

“She will be fine.” John tells her as he started to drag her inside causing her to laugh knowing that he is right.

They could hear the music before they even entered the building and once inside, John grabbed her hand and headed for the dance floor. Jane loved dancing and was actually pretty good at it, not as good as Annie, but good enough. Annie’s dancing was a little more feminine than Jane’s, almost like she is more comfortable with her femininity which always annoyed Jane. Being an older sister was hard. Jane always wanted Annie to do well but sometimes she did things too well.

“Hey want to grab a drink?” John said in Jane's ear after they had been on the dance floor for over an hour. “Yeah and maybe would could go for a walk? I’m dying it’s so warm in here!” Jane replied getting the goofy smile in return which she loved.

They quickly grabbed a drink from the drink table and headed outside for a walk around the town. With most of the teen and young adults at the dance the town was quiet. It was nice for a change. Normally they had to deal with their friends nagging them to hang out or adults that needed help but not tonight. No, tonight all the adults let the teens have their much needed night off and all their friends were back at the dance. The couple always took walks around the town but tonight felt different. Maybe it was because she was all done up thanks to Annie or because Jane had decided that tonight would be the night her and John would take their relationship to the next step, if he was willing. She didn’t know and she decided not to overthink it.

Slowly they walked the town, getting closer and closer to the one part of the town that they claimed was theirs. It was about a klick south from the dance hall and was in a secluded area of trees that not many people knew about. It was funny that even in a small settlement there were places that some people didn’t know existed but Jane loved the face that this place was theirs. Looking at her Omni-tool Jane saw that it was only 2200 hours; she had thought it was later than that but was happy that it wasn’t. This left her with plenty of time to see where this would go, good or bad she was going to make a move.

The two sat down and after 15 minutes of ease conversation Jane decided that it was now or never! “So… I was wondering Johnathan if you… If you would… wanttotakethenextstepinourrelationship?” Jane had talked so fast she wasn’t sure he was even able to understand what she said. Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were flushed and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear.

Stunned silence was what met her and she was getting to the point of running away when John turned to her with wide shocked eyes. He took her hands in his as he pulled her close. “Are you sure you want this Jane? I love you and that will never change so if you’re not ready we don’t have to. It’s your call… But if you want too, I want too.”

At his words Jane knew he meant it, every single word of it. At that point she knew she would love him forever. Slowly she turned her head towards him, brushing her lips against his, soft and sweet at first but then she pushed a little deeper so he would know that this was her answer.

Slowly, John started to move his hands up the sides of her waist towards the back of her dress to undo the zipper. As he does Jane moves her hands and grabs fists full of his hair causing him to moan. Soon the dress is off and she is undressing him. It takes what seems seconds before they are both naked and exploring each other’s bodies.

It was quick, heated, and little painful at first but when they had finished and put their clothes back on Jane knew that she would be doing this a lot more often. They sat there for a minute collecting their thoughts when Jane turned to him.

“That was amazing” she whispered with a hint of worry in her voice, unsure if he felt the same. Turning to her, John smiled so big it reached his eyes and replied, “No you were amazing, I on the other hand was merely Okay…… I believe we will need to practice if we want us both to be amazing.” He finished with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Oh, is that right?” Jane says trying but failing to not show the smirk that was spreading across her face as well. Jane stood and offered to help John up knowing that it was time to head back. “Well it will have to wait for another time. We should probably get back to the dance and make sure Annie isn’t getting into trouble.”

“I look forward to it.” He replied with a laugh, “Your right though, Annabeth somehow always finds trouble.”

They are just about to set off when Jane got feeling in her gut telling her something wasn’t right. She stiffened. “What’s wrong?” John asked clearly worried with her sudden shift in attitude. “I don’t know… something just doesn’t feel right all of a sudden… almost like… I feel like Annie's in danger.” Jane replied unsure how to explain it any farther. Just as John was about to reply there was a sudden explosion.

_ Annie!! _ Jane was off and running before John could stop her. She was running full tilt towards the fire that was the dance only a few seconds before. She could hear screaming and people crying for help but she was blind looking for Annie when more explosions went off around her.

_ Batarians _ . Jane wasn’t sure if they were pirates or slavers but she didn’t care she, they wouldn’t take her or Annie. She heard John beside her and when the sounds of gunfire rang out John pushed her to the ground.

Jane was pinned under John’s weight and she could feel warm liquid all over her hand. “John! We have to move and find Annie!” She said trying to shake him off of her. “John!” Then it hit her. He was still, heavy, not supporting any of his own weight.  _ The liquid! _ Jane raised her hand and found it slick with blood.  _ NO! NO! NO! _ She was screaming inside as she slowly got out from underneath him. She knew the second she looked into his eyes that he was gone.

“NO!” she cried out trying hard to think. He was supposed to be with her… and marry her… and love her. Not die! Not like this. He was supposed to go from old age like her, after a long happy life!

Jane was rocked back into reality when another explosion went off _. Right, Jane! _ She scolded herself;  _ First things first, find Annie and get out alive. _ Jane pushed away her thoughts of John and focused on what she needed to do next. Slowly she made her way around the battlefield that was suddenly raging in the town and she knew from her studies that the Alliance would be dispatched the moment the defense cannons started going off. Jane focused on fine tuning her senses and was sure she could hear the cannons in the distance.  _ Good, _ she thought knowing that the Alliance would be on their way.

As she crept along, Jane would stop and pretend to be dead whenever she heard a sound close to her. She knew that it wasn’t doing a good job but so far she had yet to be shot at. For the few minutes that she had been trapped under John, the fight had moved on to other areas of the settlement. Jane’s mind slowly started to realize that the Batarians weren’t taking anyone. They were just killing people; killing everyone and anyone. Jane knew that the Batarians could be cruel but to slaughter an entire colony that was insane. Jane wasn’t quite sure if she should be relieved that people weren’t being taken as slaves or horrified by the thought of everyone she knows dying.

As she crawled along, Jane started to feel a small pain in her side. She had been ignoring so far it thinking it was caused by the hard ground scraping against her body but it was starting to burn. She thought about pausing to check it but she didn’t want to risk it so she pushed on.

Slowly, Jane made her way around the fallen bodies trying hard not to look to closely. She took her time to look at every face but she only looked close enough to see if it was Annie or not. Jane knew that if she started to look at every faces to closely she wouldn’t be able to go on. Everyone knew everyone here, that was the point of a small community but it was also a downfall in this situation. Every motionless body was someone she knew so instead she focused on the one person that mattered the most. Annie!

The pain in Jane slide grew more and more the farther she moved went along. Finally, when the pain became unbearable Jane found somewhere to hide so she could take a look. She saw blood and the first thought she had was that it was John’s blood and that would make sense since he had landed on top of her. However, when she investigated further she realized she had actually been shot.  _ Well Fuck _ Jane thought. Jane was not much of a swearer, she left that to Annie, but now it seemed an appropriate time as any. She knew that she needed to get moving but now that she had seen the wound her body wouldn’t allow it. Her head was starting to swim and she didn’t know what more she could do.  _ Annie _ she kept thinking,  _ God, Gods, Spirits, or Goddess if any of you exist! Please let Annie live! Please keep her alive. _

“Keep her alive.” was the last words she said as darkness consumed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which sister will be the Shepard? Keep reading to find out!!
> 
> P.S. I don't have anyone reading this before posting so all spelling and grammar are my own. Please fell free to let me know about any mistakes and I will update them as soon as possible! :)


	3. Chapter 3 (Annabeth)

Annabeth was doing her best to try and keep the five children she found safe. The group of them were all about the same age, six or seven years old and had snuck out to play while their parents had been inside having a get together. When she had come across them their parents had already told them to hide and wait for them to come back so Annabeth took it upon herself to protect them. To do that she was ushering the children farther and farther down the road towards the docks. Annabeth knew from her studies with Jane that the Alliance would be notified the moment the defense cannons activated. It had been a while since the cannons had fired but the Batarians had been on the ground long enough to have hacked into the system so Annabeth wasn’t really shocked. Even with the cannons inactive the Alliance would be on their way all Annabeth had to do was keep the kids together and hidden for them to make it out alive. She vowed that she would do everything in her power to keep these kids safe until the Alliance came or the grown-ups got rid of Bastards.

Soon, Annabeth and the kids where hidden just outside a warehouse by the main docks. The Batarians had slowly but surely been killing everyone insight and it took all of Annabeth’s strength and courage to block the kids from seeing what she was seeing. Thankfully, Annabeth was so focused on the kids that she couldn’t focus on thoughts of Jane and her parents. She knew that if she was going to survive this and keep the kids alive she couldn’t think about them.

After about a half an hour or so of hiding the town was becoming quite. She hadn’t heard anything near their location for a while so Annabeth decided it was time to chance a look. She quickly peeked around the corner of the crate that was providing their protection to see what was happening and immediately regretted it. The moment she poked her head out one of the massive Batarians turned in her direction, saw her then proceeded to lowered his shotgun at the group. The moment he pulled the trigger, Annabeth’s instincts took over and a blue barrier pulsed around her and the kids.

The Batarian laughed a deep hardy laugh and yelled at one of his men to take the lot of them and put them on the ship. Annabeth screamed and tried to fight, taking out a few of the men coming at them before she was overwhelmed. The last thing she remembered was a gun hitting her across the face.

\--

Annabeth turned her head to the side and instantly felt pain shoot up the right side of her face.  _ Why does my face hurt so much? _ She thought as her hand went for her face. The moment she touched the side of her head and the pain shot through her, it all came back. The explosions, the gunfire, the screams for help and the children she was trying to protect.

Eyes snapping open she sat up and Annabeth regretted the action immediately. Not only did her whole head swim with pain but her stomach churned at the sudden movement wanting her to throw up but she had nothing in her stomach to get rid of. Once she was able to somewhat focus again she started to look around and she knew she was screwed. She was in a dark, dingy room and she could see it was covered in rust and other things that looked vaguely like dried blood. Annabeth made a vow then and there not to think too much about what had possibly had happened in that room before she was in it.

“Ahhh… Look. Princess is up.” Came a deep, condescending voice.

Annabeth looked over at the speaker and knew it was the same man that had tried to shoot her earlier. After not even a moment’s hesitation, Annabeth scrabbled back, trying to get as close to the wall as possible. Annabeth’s mind was racing trying to figure out what to do. She knew that she needed to escape and the only way to do that was if she proved she wasn’t a threat. She knew that would be hard since she had shown her cards on the docks but if she acted terrified enough then maybe they would forget that she was a biotic.

“Wha… Wha… What do… do you want!?” She stammered, thinking she sounded good and terrified. Was she terrified, yes but she needed to compartmentalize that fear so that she could find her way out of the hell she now found herself in. Annabeth had always been good actor so she needed to act so that this Batarian believed she was no threat. If she had to lie to herself and tell herself she was just acting terrified then damn straight that was what she would do. “I… I want to see… see my parents!” Was the next thing out of her mouth, she wasn’t sure if asked as an act or if it was for the real her but either way she was sure she knew the answer. They were gone. Batarians rarely took adults and they never took adults who could fight and she knew without a doubt that her parents would have fought. Tears streamed down her face trying to push away the feelings but deep down she was broken knowing that her parent and Jane where gone.

“Hahaha… Your parents are dead Princess along with the rest of that disgusting colony and what do I want!?” The Batarian thought about it for a moment before continuing, “I want to see you make me lots of credits!” He laughed; the sound was strangled almost like he smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 60 years.

Annabeth’s mind raced trying to figure out what to do. “Where are the other kids? Why am I alone?” She said trying to make her voice small and frightened as possible. Annabeth was in fact scared but the way this asshole was talking made her blood start to boil but she couldn’t show it. If she did, they might make it harder to escape or just killer because that would be easier than dealing with a problematic kid.

The Batarian smiled a cruel smile, “The other kids have been sold off while you were asleep, Princess. You, we are going to keep until we find the right bidder. A human biotic like you can fetch a big payday.” She knew he was telling the true. They had learned about this in class not long ago about the dangers of pirates and slavers. Annabeth knew that Human biotics were still rare and also knew that some would pay a decent penny for her since she was untrained and had not amp installed. “Now as for you Princess, you have been out for a week. Kholla hit you pretty hard but that don’t matter. You're still alive which means we can still get top dollar.” He said this as if he wasn’t quite sure she was going to make it before she woke up.

“You will be here awhile Princess so get comfy.” Was the last thing he says before walking away closing the door behind him.

“Fuck!” Annabeth whispers to herself. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck a duck!” she said trying to calm herself down.

After about 10 minutes, Annabeth finally calmed herself enough to take stock. First she checks herself for any other injuries besides the cut on her face from being hit.  _ Clear _ , she thinks so slowly she stands to survey her 'room.' It’s not very big, she estimates it at being 8 feet by 6 feet with a blanket and pillow in one corner, a bucket in the other and a locked door. Up near the ceiling there is a grate that she knew had to lead into the ventilation system but was too high for her to reach. Annabeth sat down on her makeshift bed and knew that unless they let her out, she was stuck there.

\--

Slowly the days ticked by and the only contact with the outside world was when the Batarian would come and give her the scraps of food and dump out her bucket. The days blurred together and Annabeth tried to keep herself busy by meditating and working out. Gradually, Annabeth started to see changes in her muscular definition. She is becoming stronger and was also finding it easier to use her biotics. She was still terrified of the Batarian but they had not yet seemed to notice that her body was changing.

The months drag on, slow as a snail and Annabeth couldn’t help but think she would never leave this hellhole. Her body was always sore and bruised but she could never really remember why. She knew that some of it was from sleeping on the hard cold ground but the rest she wasn’t so sure.

One day Annabeth heard the Batarian making his way to her cell at a different time than normal and she knew that something was up. She moved quickly into the far corner of her cell and started her act of slowly rocking back and forth looking as if she would burst into tears at any moment.

“Good news.” He states as he drops her food on the ground. “We found you a Fuckin buyer and you will be off my Fucking ship within the next day, Princess!” He jabs knowing she hates it when he calls her that. Every day he would come into her cell and every day he calls her Princess, she hated it. Annabeth couldn’t wait to throw him as hard and as far away as she could. “Here is the deal Princess. You and I are going to take a walk to meet your buyer. If you even think of causing a scene, I will  _ kill  _ you. And before you get any ideas,” He says with a smirk. “We are going to be on Omega. So, no one will help you!” He says with a laugh. After seeing her cower in fear and nod her head he slammed the door closed leaving her alone.

The next day the Batarian bought her some clean water, a rag and a change of clothes so she wouldn’t ‘cause a stamped’. This was the first time he had ever brought her new clothes and she nearly cried with joy at the thought of changing out of her now torn and too small clothes. Her mood wasn’t even brought down when she found that the water was cold and the rag was no bigger than a face cloth. This was only her third ‘bath’ she had gotten since she had been brought aboard and Annabeth was relieved to feel at least kinda clean.

Not long after, Annabeth heard the ship start its docking procedure and she could feel the excitement and anxiety building.  _ Good, _ she thought,  _ I am running and not looking back at my first change I get, even if it kills me _ .

Annabeth played her part to a tee; she followed closely, head down and made no move that would show her true intentions. She knew that if she showed any sign of what she was about to do, she would die before she even took one step. This was Omega; no one would even bat an eye.

The Batarian had no way of seeing what was coming. They were in the heart of the Omega Black Mark waiting to meet the contact for the buyer when she struck. She focused all of her biotic energy to create as much space between her and him as she possibly could. The Batarian left the ground and was thrown 15 feet into a nearby wall but Annabeth didn’t stick around to see if he got back up. She ran as far and as fast as she could until she found herself at another docking area. She searched the docking area trying to find somewhere, anywhere to hide until the Batarians stopped looking for her. There was a small ship close to her that was in the final stages of disengaging from the station so she ran straight for it. She could hear yelling in the background and knew that the yelling was for her. She knew that they would look for her; she was worth a lot of credits so she wasn’t going to stop. She ran straight onto the ship and came face to face with an enormous Krogan. She had never ever met a Krogan before but she couldn’t backtrack now.

“What are you doing on my ship?” He asked gruffly in a deep voice that resonated deep within her soul.

Annabeth need off the station and she didn’t care how so she squared herself and looked him right in his red eyes and said, “I am Annabeth and I need to get out of here before those Batarian assholes find me!” She said it with as much authority that at 13-year-old could.  _ Wait, or was she 14 now? _ Oh, it didn’t matter she would find out eventually.

The Krogan looked her up and down with what seemed an amused look on his scared face. “Well if you are coming with me, you better be useful.” Shocked, Annabeth just nodded her head and started helping the Krogan with whatever he needed. Within 5 minutes they were pulling away from the station and out into the stars. Annabeth was sitting in the co-pilot's seat next to the massive Krogan but she felt no fear. Surprisingly she felt comfortable as she stared out the window into the stars.

Before the raid, Annabeth had never been on a star ship and when she was on the slaver ship she never left her cell so this was her first time seeing the stars like this.  _ It’s beautiful, _ she thought as they shot out across the stars, feeling her body start to relax into the chair. It was then that she realized that she felt safe. Back in school she had learned that Krogan were dangerous and mean but for some reason she felt that he wouldn’t hurt her and that thought was more comforting than anything else she could imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I guess that answered that question. ;) I hope you all are liking Annabeth! She is so much fun to write because she is outside everything else.
> 
> P.S. I don't have anyone reading this before posting so all spelling and grammar are my own. Please fell free to let me know about any mistakes and I will update them as soon as possible! :)


	4. Chapter 4 (Wrex)

Wrex didn’t know what to think about the tiny human that was now sitting in his co-pilots chair. When she came running onto his ship and told him what she needed he had almost laughed. Not because of what she demanded, that was an easy request, but the fact that she didn’t seem scared of him. It had also amused him that she had called the Batarians assholes; he had never heard such a small squishy human swear so fiercely.

“So,” Wrex started. “Why were Batarians after you…? Annabeth is it?” Seemed a good place to start as any. See if this human was worth her weight in gold to keep. She had been helpful with finishing the last of the docking procedures on Omega and if she kept that up he might keep her as an assistant, if she proved herself useful.

She nodded her head, agreeing that her name was in fact Annabeth. “I was a prisoner on their ship for the past few months and I had just escaped when I found your ship. It looked like it was almost ready to go so I ran for it.” She stated matter-of-factly. He had met plenty of beings that had been taken by slavers and he was a bit surprised that she was so callous and detached when she spoke.

Wrex pondered on this information for a moment. He knew that Batarians pirates and slavers normally sold their product quickly and  _ never _ let their product escape easily. The fact that she had been taken to Omega to be sold instead of Batarian space was also a head scratcher. Why was she so special? “I’m a biotic.” She said as if reading his mind.  _ Awe, _ he thinks as he nods his head. Things were making sense now, “I guess they were just waiting for the right buyer. Human Biotics are still rare.” He states as he studies her from the corner of his vision. The girl was staring out the window stoned faced but he could see the excitement in her eyes and wondered if this was the first time she was seeing the stars. Shaking his head he looked her over one more time and could tell that the girl had gone through hell but was bound and determined not to let it crush her. At that moment he decided that he like this human.

“Well,” He said getting up from the pilots chair, “Follow me. You look like you could use some food and you smell worse than the Omega trash heaps.” There was a small strangled sound from behind him and when he looked back he saw that she was trying not to laugh at his comment. He chuckled to himself as he led her farther into his small ship. It wasn’t anything fancy but it worked for what he needed, it had three bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen and a small living space. Perfect for what he needed. “Here.” He said throwing a towel at her and pointing in the direction bathroom. “Shower. I’ll make us some food and we can discuss what it going to happen, deal?”

“Deal!” She replied with a huge grin on her face.

As he watched her go He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. He had never seen someone so excited about a shower in his life but then again how long had it been since she had had the opportunity to clean herself. He pushed that thought from his mind as he starts to make some food that the human eat. It was too depressing to think about and even though he just met the whelp he did feel sorry for her. Slavery on a Batarian ship, he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy let alone a young girl. It didn’t take long to whip up some food of them but in the time it did take Wrex couldn’t help but wonder about the girl’s story. How did she come to be on a slaver ship, why had was she the only one and most curiously how had she escaped. All these questions and more floated in his mind but he didn’t want to push the girl too hard too fast. He didn’t want to cause her more pain.

The girl was just exiting the bathroom as he was finishing setting up the small table for them to eat. He watched her as she seemed to devour her meal in what he would think was record time. He quickly refiled her plate and again she ate it all but slower this time and he couldn’t help wondering when her last proper meal would have been.  _ Probably before they captured her, _ he thought as he chewed on his own meal.

She finished her meal before him but continued to sit silently as if waiting for him to say or do something. “So” Wrex said after clearing his throat, “What's your story? We are on course for the Citadel so we have plenty of time to talk. Don’t rush yourself.” He saw her shoulders slump and could tell that she thought he had forgotten their deal about talking but she wasn’t going to let her avoid this completely. He could be reasonable but even he knew it would be unhealthy for her to keep everything to herself.

“My name is Annabeth and I am… what is the date?” She asked with uncertainty.

“November 12, 2170” He replied after checking his Omni-tool.

“Oh… Well then, I am 14-year-old and I am a Biotic. I lost my family in a Batarian raid and I was captured with 5 other kids. The other kids were gone about a week after the raid and I have been on their ship since it happened.” The more she said the quicker she talked and Wrex could tell that she didn’t feel comfortable. When she stopped talking she looked up at him and he saw the unspoken words in her eyes to not ask her more. Wrex could respect that. She had probably been through hell and needed time to cope. He had raided enough slaver and pirate ships to know what horrors go on and he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to talk about it.

Wrex let silence fall as he thought of how to respond to the girl. He didn’t know much about Humans but he knew enough to know that she was too young to be by herself and after some thought an idea struck him. “Alright then. From what I know about Humans you are too young to be on your own and from what you have told me I’m guessing you have no family left, so how about I make you a deal. If you can prove yourself useful by the time we get to the Citadel you can stay with me. It won’t be easy and it sure as hell won’t be fun but it is better than becoming a duct rat.”  _ Or worse, _ he thought but continued on. “What do you say?” Wrex saw several emotions past over the girls face: surprise, joy, hope, apprehension and most of all relief.

Wrex smiled when the girl agreed and could see the exhaustion that was slowly falling upon the girl so he got up and showed her the bedroom that she would be using. The moment she laid down he heard her give a soft sigh as she buried herself within the sheets. He took a few minutes to clean up the dishes that were still on the table and by the time he went to check on her she was already asleep.

\--

Over the next few days of travel Wrex was impressed with the girl’s wiliness to help and learn. The girl was like a sponge taking and absorbing everything he was willing to tell her. If it was something to do with biotics or weapons she would practice until she had it down by heart. If it was to do with day to day function of the ship she would watch and learn until she was sure she could do it herself. It amazed him that she was so dedicated to learning everything he taught her that he had to wonder if all Humans started off like this or if she was just a rarity.

Not long after Wrex was asking Citadel control to allow them to dock and he knew that it was time to ask Annabeth if she wanted to say.  _ Wait, _ he thought to himself,  _ when did I start calling her Annabeth and not girl? _ Now he hoped that she said she wanted to stay because he clearly wanted her too. Why else would he have bothered to remember her name?

“So Annabeth, over the past several days you a proven to me that you have your uses.” He said trying to hard not to allow any emotion into his voice. “If you would like, you are welcome to stay.” He was going to leave it with that but it sounded too sappy for him so he added, “You are almost as good a Krogan.” He hoped the joke came off right but it was too late now, he had played his cards and now it was up to her.

Annabeth studied him for a moment, one eyebrow raised, hip cocked to one side before replying. “I would love to stay.” Wrex let out a slow measured breath thinking he did well at hiding his momentary nervousness when he hears her say, “Next time, just say you want me to stay instead of holding it in. You looked like you had swallowed a wasp’s nest there for a moment.” She smirked.

Wrex turned and leveled her with a look. “Wasp’s nest? What the hell is that?” Not quite sure it translated correctly. “A wasp’s nest is the home to an insect referred to as a wasp. They are found on Earth and they are annoying little bastards that sting and bite you. When they attack, they release a pheromone attracts more of their kind to attack you. Sometimes it can be bad enough to kill.” She states like she is reading it from somewhere.

“Yeah, but I’m Krogan. No small bug is going to take me down.” He grumbles.

Annabeth just laughs at him which causes a small smile to greet his face. Ever since that first meal Annabeth has been reserved and quiet. He knew that she needed space; he never once barged into her room to try and help her when he could hear her sobs threw the door. The first night he had asked if she wanted him there and when she had stopped crying and told him no he let her be. It was harder than he thought it should have been but he also knew that other than sitting there he wouldn’t have been much help anyway. Wrex knew that she was still broken inside but with the small smile and the smirk earlier he knew that she would be all right.

“Okay Annabeth, if I am going to adopt you I need a last name.” He said looking over thinking he would get an answer instantly. There was hesitation on her face before she looked at him and said, “Jackson. My name is Annabeth Jackson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always thought that Wrex would be a good dad and I thought that he would get along with Annabeth so here's what happened. I also wanted to stay true to Wrex's character so there was nothing to sappy about him... yet. ;)
> 
> P.S. I don't have anyone reading this before posting so all spelling and grammar are my own. Please fell free to let me know about any mistakes and I will update them as soon as possible! :)


	5. Chapter 5 (Jane)

Beep… Beep…  _ Ugh what is that? _ Beep… “Annie please turn whatever that is off.” Beep… “Annie?” Beep… “Never mind I’ll get it.”

Jane tried to open her eyes but it felt like her lids were sewn shut and she felt exhausted. Her dream had been so real; John dead, Annie missing, Batarians everywhere and she had been shot. Slowly her eyes started to obey her and she had to blink several times do to the bright light that was filling the room. It wasn’t normally this bright in her room and was it just her or was the ceiling different?

Beep…

Jane turned her head towards the beeping noise and what she saw didn’t make sense. There was a pole with an IV drip hooked up to it and several machines that she didn’t know what they were for.  _ No! _ She thought frantically as soon as her mind started to comprehend what she was seeing.  _ No! It can’t have been real! _ She could hear the beeping from the machine start to accelerate but she didn’t know what it meant all she knew what that she needed to find Annie.

Suddenly she heard a voice, a deep rich voice that she was sure she had never heard before but it was calming. “It’s all right child. You’re safe here.” The voice said and she forced herself to take a deep breath, trying hard to focus on the voice. Eventually, the room started to come into focus and she could see a dark skinned man in navy blues sitting beside her bed.

“You’re with the Alliance.” Jane states and she could hear the rasp in her voice like she hadn’t talked for days.

“Yes Child, I am David Anderson with the Alliance Military. You are now aboard the SSV Kilimanjaro and heading to the Citadel.” Anderson told her as he studied her. Jane gave the man a once over and could tell that he was trying to hide something from her. She didn’t know what it was but she could feel a tile wave of emotions coming but pushed them back. She needed to know everything and if she broke down now she would have to wait. That, she decided, was unacceptable.

“Sir,” She started with a salute, well as best of a salute she could give with an IV in, “I need to know everything. My sister and parents are they all right? And what about the rest of the colony? When can I return-” she stops when she sees Anderson put up his hands.

“Wow, now child,” he soothes. “There is a lot that still needs clearing up but there is one thing you need to know.” He pauses as if trying to figure out what to say. “When we got to the colony, the last of the Batarian ships were leaving. We were able to capture a couple of the ships but none had any Humans on them and when we landed, we searched the entire colony. You were the only one with any life signs. I’m sorry to tell you but you’re the only survivor.” He finished grabbing Jane’s hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

At first she didn’t react but as the words started to sink in, Jane’s grip on the man’s hand grew tighter and tighter. She needed to feel that someone was there with her as the tears started to flow from her eyes and the sobs broke from her chest. Anderson sat with her making soothing sounds as she cried letting her know that it was okay to let go of the pain and the sorrow.

She didn’t know how long she cried but eventually Jane started to compose herself again. Once she knew she was able to talk again she told Anderson everything she could remember about the attack. He was a good listener and only spoke when she needed help to move on. When her story finished, Anderson sat with her holding her hand as she let the tears flow. Jane was thankful that he did, she wasn’t sure how she would react if she was alone but having someone there, someone willing to sit with her helped.

At some point Jane must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes it was to find her room empty. She instantly started to panic as she looked around the room but when her eyes landed on a data pad on the table beside her she picked it up to find a note had been left for her

_ Jane, _

_ I had to leave to inform the Council and Alliance Command about what happened. I will be back soon Child. Rest easy. _

_ Anderson _

Jane felt some of the panic leave her as she read over the words. For some reason she trusted Anderson which is strange for her. It normally took a few weeks of getting to know a person before she trusted anyone. Trust is, no was, Annie’s forte. As she thought of her sister more tears started to roll down her face. She thought that she had cried all her tears earlier but apparently not. Everyone she knew and loved where now gone. John, Annie, her parents. It was all too much. She didn’t know how long she was left alone or how long she cried but she was eventually able to pull herself back together.

Soon after she regained her composure Anderson made his way back to her with two trays of food, one for her and one for himself. As they ate Jane filled the silence by asking Anderson about his life to try and take her mind off of what had happened. It wasn’t long after that Jane started to tell him things about life before the attack and as she talked she felt everything sinking in. She talked about how she had wanted to join the Alliance one day and the people she would miss, like John and Annie, and letting the tears fall as they came. It wasn’t until she was getting ready to go to sleep that she finally asked the question that had been bothering her since he told her what had happened. “How long?” Anderson paused, studying her before answering softly, “Two weeks.”

Jane nodded; it had been two weeks since the attack, two weeks since everyone she knew had died. “Anderson… My name is Jane Olivia Shepard but if you like… you can still call me Child.” She told him before quickly shutting her eyes. She hoped that he would understand what she was trying to tell him, she wanted him to know that she like him, felt comfortable with him. That was a big deal for her, even before the attack but now it meant even more. She was alone in the galaxy and she now had one person that she trusted.

“Jane, that’s a pretty name, Child.” He replied kindly as he left the room and closed the door. Jane was sure he understood her message; she just hoped that it wasn’t wasted.

\--

Several days later, the SSV Kilimanjaro docked with the Citadel just as Jane was cleared to leave the Medical bay. She had to admit she was disappointed that she never got to see the stars from the windows or watch the ship come to dock but she was happy to be free of the Med-bay. It had been depressing sitting in her bed with nothing to do but think of all she had lost. Sure Anderson had come to visit every chance he got and the Doctor was a kind woman but sitting there with nothing to do had been driving her crazy.

Once docked, Anderson had come to collect her; she was to be taken to the embassies to meet with the Human ambassador to give a firsthand explanation as to what had happened. Anderson had promised Jane that if she wanted he would stay with her during the interview. Jane wanted nothing more than to tell the Ambassador to go to hell but knew that it would get her nowhere so she had agreed that if Anderson was there then she would go willingly.

True to his word Anderson sat with her as she told Ambassador Goyle and her right-hand man, Mr. Udina, what happened. Once she was done explaining what she remembered there was silence. The Ambassador looked horrified while Udina looked as if he had swallowed something sour but Jane couldn’t be sure if that was due to her story of if that was just the man’s face. The Ambassador gave Jane some time to recompose herself while Anderson reported on what he had found when he gotten to the colony.

By the time Anderson was done his report Jane had been able to pull herself back together. “I am so sorry, Jane.” The Ambassador said, sounding truly sorry for what she had gone through. “I know that must not be easy for you to relive but you might just save lives with this information.” Jane nodded her head hoping that she was right but Jane wasn’t so sure. Nothing she had seen would be that helpful and the only way Jane saw that the attack could have been prevented or not as bad was if there was a garrison stationed at the colony. She didn’t voice that opinion because she knew that the politicians wouldn’t listen and that most people moved to the colonies to get away from the Alliance and the Council. Putting a garrison on a colony would upset the locals and also make it a bigger target for mercenaries and other criminals.

Once the Ambassador was done questioning Jane, she was asked to please wait outside while the adults talked. Jane understood what that meant and agreed to leave without fuss, the adults wanted to discuss what was to happen with her since she now had nowhere to go. Both her parents had been only children and her grandparents on both sides had been dead for several years. She knew that there was a high possibility that she would be entering the foster system which terrified her. Being a colony kid, she only ever heard of the horrors that lie in the system and logically she knew that half, if not more, of what she had heard wasn’t but it still chilled her to the bone.

After about a half an hour of over thinking and working herself up, Anderson stepped out of the Ambassador's office and walked over to her. He informed her that she would be spending the next week as his guest while they figured out what the next step was going to be. Jane was happy to know that she wouldn’t be carted away to the foster system right away and couldn’t help the small smile of relief that past over her face. The trip to Anderson’s apartment wasn’t long and once they arrived he made up some delicious food and showed Jane where she would be sleeping. She knew she was tired but hadn’t realized just how tired she was until she was shown her room and almost collapsed into the warm soft bed.

“I will see you in the morning, Child.” Anderson told her with a chuckle. She knew she probably looked ridiculous with how she was billowing under the covers but after a week in a medical bed she was in pure haven. “I have been instructed to take you to counseling in the afternoon. They are just going to do an evaluation to make sure you are okay.” That caused Jane pause, she knew that she probably needed counselling but the thought of it made her nervous. Needing counselling was still considered weak by a lot of human’s but Anderson assured her that soldiers went through counselling on a regular basis to maintain that they were fit for duty and that it was nothing to be ashamed of. After Anderson’s reassurances Jane agreed to go talk with the counsellors and then bid him a good night.

Before Jane fell asleep, all she could think of was all of the people she has lost: friends, John, her parents, and most of all Annie. She was supposed to protect Annie and be there for her. She was supposed to sacrifice herself so Annie would live. That is what an older sister does! The last thought that went through Jane’s mind before sleep took her was  _ I miss you Annie _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of Jane/Anderson relationship. I always felt that they had a more father/daughter relationship and decided to expand on it.
> 
> P.S. I want to thank everyone who is reading this and hope you are enjoying it. I don't have anyone reading this before posting so all spelling and grammar are my own. Please fell free to let me know about any mistakes and I will update them as soon as possible! :)


	6. Chapter 6 (Anderson)

As soon as the girl woke in the Medical bay on his ship Anderson knew he liked her. She was strong, independent and knew what she wanted. Even after what she had been through Jane seemed to be bound and determined not to fall into depression or despair. Anderson would have been lying if he wasn’t worried about her but after the first session with the counsellors Jane seemed to get better and better.

After so long in the military, Anderson was impressed with how the kid was handling everything. He knew of many soldiers that would crumble under what she had gone through but Jane seemed bound and determined to not let what happened change who she was. Of course it was still hard on the girl; he had woken in the middle of the night a couple times now to the girls screams and had spent the night trying to calm her so she could sleep. They had spent the first day in the apartment after her counselling session so she could cry while he held her. It was hard to watch but Anderson was bound and determined not to let the girl go through everything alone. She had already been through enough.

It had been three days now since they arrived on the Citadel and she seemed to be getting better day by day. Jane in counseling for a couple of hours every day and she seemed more relaxed and better adjusted after even session which Anderson was taking as a good sign. He knew that the board was studying her to see how she was coping with what had happened but from what he could tell she was coping better than most Marines.

At this point, however, Anderson was growing nervous; his shore leave was quickly coming to an end and still had yet to receive news on what would happen to Jane once he was back on duty. He was sitting at the dining table eating breakfast when Jane entered the living area.

“Mornin’” She said yawning and grabbing a bowl for herself. She looked like death warmed over with her hair in a mess, baggy clothes and sleep in her eyes; so more or less like a regular non-morning person.

“Good Morning.” Anderson replied chuckling, “Sleep well?” Anderson knew it was a dumb question but last night she hadn’t woken up screaming which gave him hope that she slept through the night.

“As well as I can right now.” She said with a small smile.

Anderson was about to reply when his Omni-tool pinged. Sighing he flipped it open.

**_To: David Anderson_ **

**_From: Tabitha Johnson_ **

**_Subject: Jane Shepard, Evaluation_ **

_ Anderson, _

_ Just thought I would send you Jane’s Evaluation directly since you will be the one to tell her the results. I have attached a copy of the official Eval. But I know you are a busy man so in short it states that Miss Shepard is coping well so far and that she should remain in therapy for an additional two months. After the two months it will be up to the individual counseling her to decide to continue or not. Also, we have recommended that if you and Miss Shepard agree, she should stay in your care until she is of age due to the bond she has made with you. It would help immensely if she was to stay in your care instead of going into the foster system but understandable if cannot be arranged. _

_ Have a good day and hope that Miss Shepard will find peace and comfort soon. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Tabitha Johnson _

Anderson read the email three times to make sure that he had read it right. If they both agreed she could say with him? He didn’t even know that would be an option let alone the recommended one. After all his time in the military Anderson had never really thought about having kids of his own. He always saw the people under his command as his 'children’ and with his girlfriend also being military it wasn’t something either of them had been looking for. Of course they had joked about leaving the military life to have kids and a normal family but both were married to the military. After everything that had happened in the past two weeks he had barely talked with Kahlee let alone brought up the subject of taking on Jane full time.

He had to admit he like the idea. He had started to grow fond of Jane from the start and the idea that she could want to stay with him was humbling and honoring. He knew Kahlee would like the girl and the fact that Jane wanted to join the Alliance anyway made the idea of her staying even that more appealing. It was then he made up his mind, if Jane wanted to stay with him then she would stay, end of story. Now to ask her.

“Uhmm… Jane?” Anderson asked as she sat down at the table with him, her bowl heaping with oatmeal.

She looked up at him as she shoveled a spoon full into her mouth. She quickly swallowed before clearing her throat, “Yes?” She replied.

Anderson tried not to laugh at the girl who proceeded to shovel another massive spoonful into her mouth. “I have received the results of your Evaluation.”

That stopped her mid shovel. “And?” She asked and he could tell that she was trying to hide her nerves.

Instead of paraphrasing Anderson decided to just read the letter from Tabitha aloud that way he wouldn’t have to worry about screwing up asking her if she wanted to stay. When he finished reading he waited patiently for her to degust the information and make a decision. Anderson didn’t want to pressure her so he stood and grabbed himself another coffee before rejoining her at the table.

After several minutes of silence she looked up, meeting his eyes with hers. “Well… If it wouldn’t be too much trouble I would like to stay. I like the Citadel and I am getting used to the apartment and well… I feel comfortable here with you.” She paused, looking away. He could see the red flush that had found its way up her neck and over her face and Anderson couldn’t help think that there was nothing for her to be embarrassed about.

A moment later she turned to face him again with down cast eyes and he could see she was about to continue but Anderson had hear enough already. He quickly held up his hands to stop her before she say anymore. “Well it’s settled, Child. You will stay will me. We just need to go down to the embassies to fill out the paperwork.” He said with a smile as he got up to clean up the mess he made while making his breakfast.

After cleaning up, Anderson was leaving the living space and headed towards his room when he faintly heard Jane sigh and whisper ‘thank the spirits’ and he almost stopped mid stride. He decided to play it off but he couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face knowing that he has made the right choice.

\--

It had only been week after the adoption papers went through when the media found out about Jane’s survival of the horrific events that took place on Mindoir. During the adoption time Anderson had taken leave to make sure that everything went smoothly with the courts but Anderson was supposed to be shipping out that afternoon. When the story broke he quickly contacted the Alliance brass and received clearance to allow him to bring Jane with him on deployment. She would have access to an Alliance counselor that was stationed on board the Kilimanjaro and there was room for her to sleep in the crew quarters. Anderson was surprised but pleased to see Jane take the changes so well. He registered her for school at the online school which allowed Spacer children to earn a good education with little fuss. Having her aboard ship also allowed Jane to get firsthand experience to see what life in the military was like.

It took a couple months after the story broke for Jane to be able to walk around the Citadel without anyone ambushing her for an interview. The reporters were like vultures but after she did an interview for the Citadel News Network one shore leave they seemed to back off and move on to the next ‘big’ story. Slowly life got back to a normal pace and Anderson saw that Jane was starting to get used to life aboard starships. He could see that she loved being able to look out a window and see the stars or helping the crew with anything that they deemed appropriate for a sixteen year old to do. Anderson couldn’t have been happier with the progress Jane was making; she was making excellent grades in school, had a small group of friends and was even starting to laugh again. It wasn’t until late October, Human Standard time, for Jane to be out of the limelight for good. Anderson had been so impressed with how Jane had handled everything. The press, civilians and even the military brats all seemed to want a piece of her but she never gave herself over to them.

After a hard month long tour, the Kilimanjaro had been told to dock at the Citadel to allow their people to decompress. The patrol they had been on had been hard on the ground crew so the Doctor told the Captain that none of the marines were cleared for duty until they had time to rest.

“How long do we have this time?” Jane asked as she flopped down onto the couch turning on the vid screen.

“36 hours.” He replied from the kitchen. Anderson had just flipped open his Omni-tool to order their usual take-out when hear Jane call to him. “Hey, could you grab me a soda, Dad?”

Anderson froze. He looked up at Jane expecting to see… well he wasn’t sure what to expect but she had a grin on her face and a little bit of a sparkle in her eye.

“Of course, Child.” He replied trying to not make a big deal out of what just happened. Once he was turned around, however, he let a huge smile stretch across his face. He never thought she would ever consider him as ‘Dad’, but he liked the way it sounded. He quickly grabbed a couple sodas and joined Jane on the couch handing her one. She gave him a smile and said, “Thanks… Dad” then she leaned her head onto his shoulder and began to watch whatever vid she had put on and Anderson couldn’t have been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Anderson PoV good/bad/meh? I think that if Shepard had been taken to the Citadel that a media frenzy would happen at some point but what do I know. I hope you are liking where this is going so far. :)


	7. Chapter 7 (Annabeth)

“Jackson. My name is Annabeth Jackson.”

Annabeth remembered the day that she chose her new name in perfect detail. After everything she had been through since the attack, Wrex was the only good thing that had happened and she remembered trying her hardest not to fuck up and have him throw her away. She had known that Wrex hadn’t believed her when she told him her name but he didn’t say anything so she didn’t argue. Ever since that day Annabeth shared everything with Wrex except where she was originally from, what she had went through on the slaver ship and her real surname. Annabeth was smart, she knew that if the media found out there was a survivor from Mindoir she would be hounded by reporters and that was something she really didn’t want to deal with. Not only that it would bring Wrex’s adoption of her to the public and they had already had enough trouble without a zoo of people throwing in their opinions.

After the adoption went through, it wasn’t long before Annabeth was registered in school for Spacer kids. When she wasn’t busy studying, Wrex had her busy training to use her biotics and weapons. Annabeth became fond of Wrex very quickly and even starting to call him Dad after the first couple of months on board his ship. She knew Wrex would never it admit it to her but Annabeth knew he liked it when she called him that and she couldn’t help but fall in love with the big brute.

Now that Annabeth was a month from turning 18, she knew that she needed to broach the subject of joining the Alliance. This was a scary topic for her. Annabeth knew that Wrex was very protective of her and would do anything to protect her no matter the cost but if she joined the Alliance he couldn’t come with her. Annabeth remembered how protective he was when she first started to date, it had been to the point of embarrassment but she never once resented it. It’s not like she ever dated seriously, being in space most of the time it never really worked but she did have a couple of guys that she had liked well enough to introduce them to Wrex but in the end, they never could make it work. Not that Annabeth was heartbroken over it but she still remembered Wrex’s grumbling of disapproval at any guy she brought home. He tried to hide it and was very supportive but deep down she knew that he disliked all of them.

The Alliance though, that was an entirely different story. With Wrex being a bounty hunter and mercenary he had taught Annabeth well on how to kick ass not only with her biotics but in hand to hand and weapons training. She was a skilled fighter already and would have a massive advantage when she signed up since she had already been in firefights and knew almost every weapon and mod that was out there but to actually bring the subject up with Wrex was terrifying. She had practiced her speech in her head many times and was prepared for many different outcomes so she decided that it was now or never.

“Dad?” Annabeth called as she came out of her room into the living area. She could see that he had most of his body lying on the ground and his head under the sink with a wrench in one hand and his Omni-light on the other.

She knew she had surprised him when he jumped causing him to hit his head on the underside of the counter. “Ouch! Damn it!... Yeah? What is it?” He replied as he tried to extract himself without further injury. Annabeth had to stifle a laugh as he came crawling out to look at her.

“Sink backed up again?” She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to let her amusement show.

“What does it look like!? I’m not down here for fun.” He replied with a bit of attitude which caused Annabeth to lose her control as she let out a snort of laughter drawing a glare from the Krogan.

“Sorry, Dad I couldn’t help it.” She said as she walked over and kissed his forehead. “You know you could have asked me? You’re too big to fit under the sink.” Annabeth can’t remember the amount of times she had told him to let her fix things that were too small for his body to do but he was too damn stubborn.

“What? Are you saying I put on weight?” he joked as he gave her a poke as he stood.

Annabeth laughed at the indignant look that played across his face. “Yes! That is exactly what I’m saying dad.” She replied sarcastically causing them both to chuckle as she guided him over to the table.

“What is it? Bug… I know that look. You have something to tell me.” He stated in the matter-of-fact tone he used when he wanted a straight answer. He knew her to well. Annabeth knew that she was a pretty good actress when she needed to be but she found it hard to cover her feeling or thoughts around him.

“Okay, Dad I have something I want to tell you. I don’t know how much of this you’re going to like it but if you could please indulge me and wait until I am fully done my explanation before you speak that would be great!” She said pausing until she got confirmation from him that he agreed not to interrupt her. After taking a deep breath Annabeth began to explain how it had always been a dream of hers to join the Alliance. She told him of the time she had spent researching and learning all there was about the Alliance before she had been captured and she told him how she felt that she needed to do this so the same thing that happened to her wouldn’t happen to others. As she explained Wrex sat quietly as he had promised and when Annabeth had finished she waited holding her breath to hear his response.

“Bug, you know that I will more than likely never have children of my own but you are my child. I want you to be happy. If that means I must let you go so you can join the Alliance I can do that. It would be a much better life then you becoming a mercenary like me.” He told her giving her a steady look.

Annabeth slowly released the breath she had been holding as she processed his words. “You’re okay with me joining the Alliance?” She asked slightly shocked; she never expected this to be his reaction to her telling him she wanted to go but she was happy that it was. Annabeth knew that Wrex loved her but she had assumed he would try and talk her out of it, try and talk her into staying with him where he would be around to protect her.

She was shaken out of her shock when she heard his reply. “Yes Bug… I mean every word of it. I am proud to call you my daughter and the Alliance would be lucky to have you! You are part Krogan after all.” He said with a straight face causing Annabeth to laugh.

She smiled at her father before getting up and kissing him on the cheek. “Love you, dad.” She said as she skipped to her room to finish filling out her application.

\--

A month later Wrex and Annabeth were standing at the Alliance docks on the Citadel waiting for her to be called forward. Annabeth knew Wrex was not a man who liked to show affection in public but when he picked her up in a hug and let her kiss his forehead she had to try not to cry.

“I love you, Dad.” She told him as he set her down.

“I love you too, Bug.” he replied using the nickname he given her when she was younger. Ever since she told him he looked like he swallowed a wasp’s nest he had insisted on calling her bug, not that she minded. She actually came to like the name and now it seemed weird when he called her anything else. He looked down at her and gave her a light head-butt before pushing her towards the other recruits. “Now go make me proud!” he yelled at her as she turned and walked away.

Once on the ship, Annabeth, along with the other recruits, were taken to an observation deck where they could see their families one last time before the left for Earth. Annabeth was nervous and excited about what was to come and she could feel that everyone else felt the same. As she continued to look out the window at Wrex, a girl with copper toned skin and bleach blond hair came and stood beside her.

Annabeth could feel the excitement and enthusiasm dripping off of her as she turned to introduce herself. “Hi! I’m Emily. See that group of people there, that’s my family.” She said beaming as if she couldn’t be prouder of anything else in the world. Annabeth looked where Emily pointed and saw the girl’s family. Even without being pointed out Annabeth would have been able to tell that was her family. They all looked so much alike that she could have sworn that Emily was a younger clone of her mother. Just as that thought entered her mind Annabeth couldn’t help the small pain that jabbed into her as she briefly wondered if she would have looked anything like her mother or Jane. That was the disappointing thing about time, as it continued on Annabeth had a harder and harder time remembering the faces of the ones she loved.

“Hi” Annabeth replied try to smile through the pain that was suddenly sharp and fresh in her chest. “I’m Annabeth and you see that Krogan over there.” She pointed to Wrex who hadn’t moved from where she had left him. She could see many people giving him a wide berth and C-Sec officers watching him and couldn’t help the bit of anger that rose up in her. Every time they were on the Citadel things like this would happen and even though Wrex said it wasn’t a big deal it was for her. “That my adopted father.”

Emily turned to her, eyes wide with shock which caused Annabeth to laugh. “No!? Your father is Krogan? That’s totally cool.” She said and Annabeth was happy to see that she wasn’t lying. Annabeth nodded her head with a smile as Emily started asking a bunch of questions about how it was growing up with a Krogan as a father. Soon it was the time for the ship to takeoff and Annabeth could tell that she had made a new friend, her first real friend since the events of Mindoir.

\--

Annabeth had just finished showering when she received a message from Captain Thomas to report at his office at 1700 hours. Confused, she quickly dressed in her Alliance casuals and headed straight there since it was already 1650. She barely had enough time to make it across the base so she quickly threw her hair up in a bun and jogged over to the main office building.

As she made her way over Annabeth wondered what all of this could be about. She had done all of her duties, passed all of her exams, helped out with kitchen duty and even help the Captain with training the news set of recruits with hand to hand combat training since she was light years ahead of everyone else in that aspect. Hell she was better than the instructors even but she would never say that aloud.

No, she had been a near perfect recruit since getting to basic. The only thing she had done that was outside the rules was… She stopped mid jog, _Oh god I hope that’s not what this is about_ , she thought as she picked up her jog again. Since joining the military there was only one rule she broke and it was the one rule she thought was outdated. Fraternization was one thing she didn’t feel any guilt about crossing and it wasn’t like she was in a relationship with anyone; she just had one night stands. Both her and her partner knew the score going in and she never slept with the same person twice. It was her rule, that way feelings didn’t get attached. Not that she frowned upon that either, she just wasn’t looking for that.

A few minutes later she was standing at attention in front of Captain Thomas praying that she had been wrong about why she was there.

“At ease, Jackson.” He said as he gestured for her to take one of the seats across from him. She obliged and sat down in the chair to the left so she wouldn’t have to look at the Captain though his halo-screen. As she sat, Annabeth tried to get a read of the situation but found that the man had an incredible poker face. His chocolate brown eyes were still fixed on the screen in front of him so Annabeth took the time to relax and really look at her Captain.

For being in his late forties he was looking pretty darn good. He had dark, thick, jet black hair that was peppered with fine gray whips that he kept closely shave to prevent it afroing out. His warm brown skin was still tight across most of his face and Annabeth knew from just that observation that he had spent most of his military career behind a desk. The only signs of aging were the laugh lines and crow’s feet around his eyes.

Shifting in his chair, he turned to look at her now that he was done with whatever he was doing before she entered. “Private, I have asked you here to discuss you future with the Alliance.” He said and Annabeth’s heart rate accelerated. _Well that’s a terrible way to start the conversation,_ she thought as she continued to listen. “Since arriving here you have exceeded all expectations; you showed up already familiar will all types of weapons and proficient with pistols and shotguns, your hand to hand combat technique is impeccable and your control over your biotics is outstanding. Not only are you excelling in combat based courses but you have proven that you are above most when it comes to strategy and your ability to work with anyone. Over all you are exactly what the Alliance is looking for.” He finished.

Annabeth had to admit she was a bit taken aback. She had come into the room expecting reprimand not complements but she couldn’t help but feel pride wash over her. She had feared that she would come into basic behind everyone since she grew up in space and learned everything about the galaxy from a halo-screen or Wrex but to hear praise like this… it was humbling.

“Thank you, Sir.” She replied calmly as she tried to hold back her feelings.

The Captain nodded and continued. “With that said you are a perfect candidate for Special Forces, specifically the ICT program. I won’t lie to you, it will be hard work; you will be pushed beyond what you think you are capable of but if you can push through you will become the soldier that I think you are meant to be.” As he talked he was giving her a hard look as if making sure that he wasn’t making a mistake by giving her this opportunity.

Annabeth was floored, the idea of her not only being Special Forces but in the ICT program was a dream. When she enlisted she just wanted to make sure she didn’t make a fool of herself but now… to even be considered was an honor and she wasn’t even out of basic. Before Thomas could change his mind she sat up straighter and gave her answer.

“I would be honored, Sir.” She said in a strong voice that even sounded good to her.

The Captain nodded as if he had already guessed that was going to be the answer. “Very well, pack your things. You leave at 0600 tomorrow. Dismissed.”

Annabeth quickly stood, saluted and left without a backwards glance. _Me, an N-candidate! Mom and Dad, you would be so proud! J you probably would have beaten_ _me in but still! Privet Annabeth Shepard … Jackson, N7._ She thought with a bright smile as she nearly skipped back to the barracks to begin packing. Annabeth couldn’t wait to call Wrex and tell him the amazing news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? I thought that if Wrex was going to be a dad he would be overprotective and would see that the merc life is not the best and would want Annabeth to be happy.


	8. Chapter 8 (Jane)

Jane knew from the moment she met Kahlee that she was going to like her. It had only taken a month after Jane got settled into her new life that she knew there was something more between Anderson and Sanders than the ‘just friends’ line that Anderson tried to feed her. It took almost six months after she had officially moved in before she could coax it out of Anderson that there was more to the relationship. Jane remembered laughing at the look on Anderson's face when she finally confronted him and told him that she knew that they were an item. Jane had to assure Anderson that she had no problem with Anderson seeing Kahlee and that if he wanted Kahlee around when their shore leaves matched up then it was fine by her. Jane told him that he shouldn’t let her get in the way and that if he was worried he could stop because Jane liked Kahlee. After that day, Kahlee was around much more often and had become a friend to Jane.

As the years went on and Jane became more comfortable she began to look at Kahlee as kind of mother figure. She wasn’t around enough for Jane to start thinking of her as Mom but she did go out of her way to spend time with the woman.

Now that Jane was almost 23 and serving under Anderson as his Lieutenant-Commander, Jane thought she would have to separate Lieutenant-Commander Shepard from his adopted daughter, Jane. Anderson, however, had other ideas. One of the first things he told her was to treat your crew like family. Get to know them and respect them. “You don’t have to like them,” she remembers him saying; “you just have to respect them. If they are going to have your back on the ground, it’s better they know who you are.” This was a rule that Jane lived by.

When Anderson asked her to come with him to pick up their newest recruit Jane was thrilled. She loved getting to know the new recruits and with her being so young and already a Lieutenant-Commander it helped show the recruit that anything is possible.

“So Commander, who is the new recruit?” Jane asked as she tried to hide her smirk. She knew that Anderson hated when the people under his command called him by his title. He said it made him feel old and disconnected from his team so they were only ever supposed to call him Commander when in front of the ‘higher-ups’.

“So formal Jane? You know that I ask everyone to call me Anderson. Just because you’re my child doesn’t mean you have to be formal.” He replies giving her the look he always does when someone calls him by his title.

“Sorry, Anderson.” She chuckles causing an irritated huff to leave Anderson with a quiet “Smart ass” which causes her to laugh even harder.

“Now if you are done, Jane we have work to do.” He said in a hard tone but with one look in his direction Jane could see the amusement in his eyes. She took a moment to collect herself before nodding for him to continue. “Good. Now, the Lieutenant we are picking up has come with high recommendations. She is reported to be a good strategist, an impressive biotic, is an N4 and just what I think we are missing on our ground team. Here.” Anderson said as he handed her a data pad. “Want to know more, there is her dossier.”

Jane laughed, “No. You know me. I like to get one on one with them to get their service record.” Anderson laughed as well knowing that Jane’s getting to know someone one on one normally meant fighting side by side and then meeting at the bar. That’s how Jane liked to evaluate crew, if they could impress her in the field and then go out for a relaxing night then they were generally okay by her. The rest of the trip was spent in comfortable silence as Jane concentrated on flying the shuttle. Fly wasn’t her strong suit but she needed to keep her hours up so that when push came to shove she would still be able to use the damn thing if she need to.

As they were coming up on the landing area Anderson spoke. “Looks like she is already here. Good.” Anderson points out the recruit as he got up to open the hatch. They touch down a bit harder than what Jane wanted but she managed not to cause any damage, which was impressive for her. As she began shutting down the shuttles systems, she could hear Anderson greet the new recruit.

“Lieutenant Jackson reporting for duty, Sir.” Came the commanding yet sweet voice of the recruit. Jane paused for a moment not knowing why but she had a feeling as if she knew that voice from somewhere. That was one of Jane’s downfalls; she was terrible with names and faces. Unless you made a strong impression she would forget things. Not that she would forget entirely, she could hear a name and know she had met the person just don’t as her to put a face to the name or vice versa.

“At ease, soldier.” Anderson chuckled shaking Jane out of her thoughts as she continued to shut down the shuttle. “I’m Commander Anderson with the SSV Tokyo but please just call me Anderson, everyone does.” Jane smirked at that, every time they got someone new he would say the same thing.

It took her a few more moments before she was done shutting down the craft before she stood and rounded the corner to meet the Lieutenant. “Ahh. There you are! Lieutenant-Commander this here is Lieut-” Anderson started to say but was cut off but the new Lieutenant.

“J… is that you?” There was apprehension and shock in the voice that came out of the woman standing just outside the shuttle. Jane froze as she looked at the woman standing in front of her, eyes wide and mouth slightly open she probably looked ridiculous but she didn’t care. She stared at the women with caramel coloured hair, hazel eyes and pale skin and immediately Jane knew that face. There was a small scar on the right side of the woman’s face that wasn’t there before but she knew that face.

“Annie!?” She managed to choke out as he mind tried to comprehend what was happening.

The other woman seemed to be in the same state of shock as Jane because she just nodded her head as she looked over Jane’s face. Before either knew what they were doing both sisters rushed towards each other. Jane pulled Annie into a hug so tight she wasn’t sure her sister could even still breathe but the pressure she received back was just as tight so Jane didn’t loosen her grip.

As she held her, Jane did a quick once over, well what she could see, of Annie and was happy to note that it seemed she seemed in fit shape. Jane immediately dismissed the dumb thought of Annie not being fit for duty since the woman that Anderson was supposed to be picking up came with high praise but the rational side of Jane’s mind, however, had disappeared slightly since she was now hugging her not-so-dead sister.

Jane reluctantly pulled away from Annie’s grasp and held her at arm’s length as she gave the young woman a visual scan which Annie seemed to mimic. “But, how?” they both said at the same time as silent tears rolled down their faces. Both women laughed as they wiped away tears. It was funny that even after all the time apart they still talked over each other.

She noticed Anderson shift beside her drawing Jane’s eyes. “I take it you must be Annabeth? Jane’s sister?” Anderson asked which brought both women’s attention back to their commanding officer.

“Yes, Sir.” Annie replied straighten and reluctantly letting go of Jane. Jane on the other hand kept her hold on her as she drank in the sight of the woman she never thought she would ever see again.

Anderson waved Annie off telling her to forget protocol before turning to Jane. “Well, it looks like we have a lot to talk about. Come let's get lunch.” Anderson said and walked out of the shuttle without as much as a look back. Jane chuckled as she watched him go before pulling Annie back in for another hug.

“I missed you.” She whispered into her sister’s ear. Annie laughed and replied with an enthusiastic “of course you did” causing Jane to laugh. “Come on. We have a lot of catching up to do.” Jane said as she pulled away grabbing Annie’s hand as she followed after Anderson who was now waiting for the two women to join him.

As the three of them sat and ate lunch, Jane explained what had happened to her after she had left Annie that night so many years ago. As she talked, Annie sat and listened with tears running down her face and Jane had to use all of her will power not to reach out and whip them away. She explained how Anderson had adopted her and what her life had been like being raised on a military ship and about the media circus that followed after it was discovered she had survived. Jane told her about how she prayed to ever kind of god and spirits out there that Annie was alive and safe. She even went as far as to pray to the ancient Greek and Roman Gods that Annie had been so fascinated by when she was young. This pulled a laugh from the two as they both knew how ridiculous it sounded to admit these things allowed.

Soon the roles were reversed and Jane sat and listened to Annie’s story of survival. It took all of Jane’s control not to sob when she heard about the Batarians taking her as a prisoner. Annie skipped most of telling her what happened between her capture and her escape but Jane didn’t ask; she didn’t want to open old wounds. Annie continued to explain how she escaped and Jane nearly fell off her chair from laughing so hard when she told her about meeting Wrex. Finally, Annie told them why she had changed her name from Shepard to Jackson. Her reasoning made sense; however, Jane couldn’t help the pang of annoyance that shot threw her, if Annie had kept their surname they could have found each other much sooner. As that thought flew through her head Jane dismissed it, at least they had each other now.

When Annie had finished talking there was one question that Jane just had to know the answer to. “Why Jackson?”

A smirk came across Annie’s face when she replied, “Do you remember the book series that I used to read? The one with the Greek Gods?” Jane nodded. “Well one of the main characters’ was named Annabeth Chase and she was in love with the main character Percy Jackson. I liked Jackson more than Chase so… yeah.” She finished looking embarrassed. Anderson laughed along with Jane at the logic that fourteen year old Annie used and couldn’t help but laugh harder when Annie started to glare at her.

After that they sat in peaceful silence for a few minutes but eventually Annie asked if they could keep this between the three of them and close family and friends. She explained that she didn’t want to have a circus follow her around and she would also be in trouble with Citadel Security and the System Alliance since she lied about her name and where she was from since the age of fourteen. Anderson and Jane agreed immediately; one because they knew that she was right and two they trusted her.

On the Shuttle ride back to the Tokyo Anderson agreed to pilot the shuttle so the two sisters could talk without the chance of someone over hearing. Jane had couldn’t have been happier now that she had her sister back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm not a military expert by any means so them being so young and where they are in the military might not be realistic. If anyone thinks they know a better rank for them please feel free to leave a comment and I can update the sections that have their rank! :)
> 
> Oh! For those who do not know, the characters Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are the main characters from Rick Riordan's book series 'Percy Jaskson and the Olympians'


	9. Chapter 9 (Wrex)

“Dad! You won’t believe what happened today!” Annabeth voice said over the vid screen. Wrex could tell, even without looking, that she was bursting at the seams trying not to shout the news at him. Ever since he picked her up all those years ago she had the inability to keep big news from him for long. Normally she would have him try and guess and before he could even get the first guess out she would shout the news at him like it was fire.

“What Bug? You know I hate guessing.” He grumbled in mock annoyance as he adjusted his position so she could see him better. Wrex normally hated talking over the vidcalls, mostly because he found it difficult to fit himself in the screen properly but ever since Annabeth join the military he made an acceptation just for her.

“I found my sister!” she cried as another girl who looks so similar to his bug pops into view on the screen. Now, if Wrex hadn’t adopted a human as his own he would have said that all humans looked alike but now though… he knew better. If Annabeth hadn’t of said that they were sisters he might not have noticed that they did have similar shaped eyes and lips but other than that it seemed one inherited their mother’s looks while the other got their father’s. Wrex knew little about Annabeth’s life before she escaped Batarians slaver ship all those years ago; she never really liked talking about it and Wrex never pushed for the information, nervous that he would trigger something or cause her pain. He had known that she had had a sister and that they were close but from what Annabeth had told him, everyone in her family had died in the slaver attack.

“Hi.” Came a strong feminine voice from the girl with fiery red hair, “It’s nice to umm… meet you.” She said as a small smile graced her lips.

At first Wrex thought the hesitation mid-sentence was a sign of the women’s disapproval that Annabeth was raised by a Krogan and was about to get angry when it hit him. She was human, not Krogan; she had emotions going on that didn’t follow along with his so he had to actually think about how a human would react. She wasn’t disapproving that he was a Krogan, she was nervous because he was family and she wanted to make a good impression. That was what made the most amount of sense to him and he was a bit surprised to find he felt something similar.

“Well, Hello.” He replied hoping he sounded nice. “It’s nice to meet you too.” He turned his gaze from the new woman back to his daughter. “I am happy for you Bug! Really, it’s nice to see you have some of your family back.” He said trying to not sound to put out. He didn’t know what this meant for him. Would she cut him out of her life now that she had her sister back, someone human that she wouldn’t be embarrassed to admit she was related to?

“Dad… I know that look.” She replied giving him pointed look. “I still love you and you are still my Dad, this just means that our family got bigger!” She smiled and his heart melted. He would never admit it to anyone but that woman had him wrapped around her finger so good that he would do anything for her.

Wrex smiled, well the best a Krogan can smile as he listened to her talk. “Anyway, the Tokyo will be taking mandatory shore leave and the end of this month on the Citadel. We will have 48 hours and if you could make it... I would like you to come meet my sister and her family.” Annabeth continued as she looked hopefully at him. Wrex’s immediate thought was no but as he looked at her he knew he couldn’t, it was what she wanted so of course he would do it for her.

“Of course, Bug. I have business on the Citadel so I will be there anyway.” He replied. It wasn’t a lie; he did have a job there protecting some Volus while he made some not so legal deals. Protection jobs weren’t his favorite but they tended to bring in decent creds and this was a job from the Shadow Broker so he knew he wasn’t going to get screwed on the payment.

Annabeth’s face lite up in with a huge smile and Wrex could see she was trying not to jump up and down. “Great see you then!” With that the two girls waved goodbye and the screen went dark.

\--

Over the next couple of weeks, when Wrex wasn’t busy with a job, he sat on his ship thinking of the upcoming meeting with Annabeth’s sister and her family. Wrex would never admit it to anyone but he was nervous that they wouldn’t get along. Wrex normally didn’t care if people liked him, he was Krogan after all, but these people were important to his little Bug, damn it!

The two talked almost every day over the past few weeks since they were both in range of comm buoys and neither was on jobs that required radio silence. When Annabeth had left to join the military the two had made a deal; the deal was they would talk when they could whenever they could, the only time she didn’t contact him was when she had to silent for mission or vice versa.

It was a relief for him to talk to Annabeth so frequently. Over the past year or so she had been going on more and more classified missions that required her to go silent as part of her ICT training. It was a pain but Wrex understood; even he had started taking more jobs that required him to be more careful with his communications least he wanted to be found.

While he was making his way to the Citadel he had received a very distressed call from her telling him that her former crew had been killed while on mission. She had cried and told him what little she could but the moment he heard the location he knew what had happened. The Citadel News Network and been covering the story all day about the tragedy on Akuze and he couldn’t help but be thankful that Annabeth had been transferred before the team had been deployed. If she hadn’t he would probably been morning a daughter now instead of looking forward to seeing her in a couple weeks.

\--

Finally, the big day arrived and Wrex stood waiting outside the Alliance docking bay waiting for his daughter to appear. This particular area of the docking bay consisted of mainly humans so when Wrex walked in and leaned against the railing he was not shocked that the guards where eyeing him up to see if he would be a problem. The rest of the humans gave Wrex a wide berth which he was happy about. He didn’t want to get in a fight and have Annabeth’s sister first impression of him being arrested for assault.

“Dad!” Annabeth shouted across the dock waving her hand in the air as she ran through the crowd to greet him. As she ran the crowd parted for her and gave strange looks as they realized that it was him she was aiming for. He knew that she wasn’t embarrassed at having him as a father and she would willing tell anyone and everyone that she was raised by a Krogan but Wrex still didn’t like to advertise it. He didn’t want Annabeth to receive any flak from humans or aliens about her parentage but she told him multiple times that she didn’t care. Even though he knew she didn’t care he was trying to protect her, she was all he had.

The moment that she was in front of him Wrex picked her up and pulled her in for a hug. “Bug.” He said into her ear. It had been a several months since they had last seen each other and he felt no shame in letting her know that he had missed her. As he held her, Wrex felt her plant a kiss on his head plate and if it had been anyone else he would have knocked her down but Annabeth was allowed. To do such a thing with a Krogan was generally frowned upon since it was a show of power. Most species thought that head-butting was the only way that Krogan showed who had power but if a Krogan allowed someone to lightly butt heads or kiss them there it showed more than any head-butt would.

Once he had set her down, he notice a man and woman standing behind her. The woman, he recognized as the sister from the vid call, but the dark skinned man was an unknown; he looked to be her commanding officer which caused him to tense for a moment but when he looked over at his daughter he saw that she comfortable with the other man’s presence so he followed her lead.

Wrex was surprised to hear that the man, Anderson, was the other woman’s adopted father. Not that Wrex knew a lot about humans but he assumed that kids wouldn’t be allowed to work under their parents. Annabeth had told him of the Alliance’s weird rules revolving around fraternization and just assumed that parentage would play into that as wall. True, Anderson wasn’t technically Shepard’s father and Shepard had been older than Annabeth when she was adopted but it still surprised him. In the long run it didn’t matter, if the Alliance would allow it than Wrex knew Anderson would take care of his Bug.

Annabeth did a quick introduction before the group turned to find a cab that could take the group to Anderson’s apartment. They had decided that the apartment would be the best place to talk since it would give them privacy and help keep things relaxed which would be a good thing. Wrex could tell that both Shepard and Anderson were a bit apprehensive of him so if going to Anderson’s apartment put them at ease it was fine by him.

“So… why do you call Annie, Bug?” Shepard asked once they climbed into the cab and Anderson had set their destination. Both Annabeth and Wrex chuckled in response as Annabeth explained how she had earned the nickname.

By the time they got to the apartment and ordered food for the four of them the group was starting to talk comfortably. They shared stories of the two growing up and how they came to be where they were. Wrex could tell that the three others had shared some conversations before this meeting but could see that this was the first time they really felt at ease talking about their connection.

At some point the women moved into the living area to talk ‘girl talk’ and share halo’s leaving Wrex and Anderson to talk amongst themselves. Wrex had to admit, he liked the man. He seemed like he could hold his own in a fight which is an important quality in a man in Wrex’s mind and he seemed to not take shit from anyone. The two exchanged war stories for a while trying to one up each other like most fighter do when it came to this topic but both knew that the other man had earned the scars they had.

As the conversation turned back to their adopted daughters Anderson looked him in the eye and told him something that Wrex already knew. “Annabeth is strong and a damn fine Marine. You should be proud.” Wrex looked at the man for several moments but what he found was the man was being genuine.

“Hmpf… of course she is!” He said shrugging. “She’s part Krogan!”

Anderson laughed as he nodded his head in agreement. “I can see that.” He joked causing a smile to spread across Wrex’s face.  _ This Human is alright, _ he thought as the two shared a chuckle.

“Hey! I heard that!” Annabeth said mock offence as the women made their way back over to the dining table. Shepard joined Wrex and Anderson in poking fun at Annabeth who didn’t seem to mind and Wrex could tell that he liked these people alright. His Bug was going to be in good hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think of their meeting?? Was Wrex to soft for you or do you think it adds a little extra to his character. I always thought that Wrex would have a softer side after seeing how he interacts with Eve in ME3 so I thought I would bring it out sooner.  
> I hope you're enjoying the ride!! I know I am :)


	10. Chapter 10 (Anderson)

Anderson had to admit when he first heard met Jackson he was happy for Jane to finally have a piece of her family back but when he found out about her past, particularly about who raised her, Anderson was concerned. The moment that he had made it back to the Tokyo after their first meeting Anderson did as much digging into the woman’s life that he could. He was surprised at how very little he found on the woman before she enlisted, mostly just school records and the adoption papers. Admittedly the woman had made stellar grades while in school and once she joined the military her skill spoke for itself.

Jackson was almost 21 years old and had already reached the rank of N4 and was considered one of the Alliance’s star pupils was impressive. As he dug further into her service record he noticed that she arrived at basic already able to use any weapon handed to her and could beat most instructors in a spar showing that she wasn’t just some run of the mill recruit. The only comment that was negative in her records was her extra-curricular activities off the field; not that Anderson really needed to know about the woman’s habits of having one night stands but since fraternization was something that the Alliance brass took seriously it was a cause for some concern. However, after looking through all of her records it seemed that it never affected her work or the other soldier in question so Anderson disregarded the information.

After he finished going through Jackson records he moved on to her adopted father, that took a bit more time and ended in him not finding much more than a C-Sec file with a list of his priors but no charges. With the Krogan being a bounty hunter and mercenary it would be hard for C-Sec to make any charges stick. All this information was concerning for him but he did notice that after the Krogan adopted Jackson his file became much cleaner. Maybe the having someone else to look after had changed the Krogan but that didn’t mean he wanted Jane mixed up in something that could get out of hand.

After spending a month with Jackson and meeting Wrex in person Anderson forgot all about his earlier fears. Wrex seemed like a good man and Anderson had to admit that he had jumped the gun on when it came to judging the Krogan. Anderson normally produced himself for not judging people based solely on files and preconceived notions but with Wrex and Jackson had and he knew that it was because it involved Jane so closely that he couldn’t stand the thought of her getting hurt. Now, however, he was man enough to admit that he was wrong.

Jackson had proven herself since joining the Tokyo and Wrex seemed to be smart and kept out of trouble, well for the most part anyway, so Anderson forgot all worries and decided that what happened was going to happen. No point worrying about it now.

\--

The next 2 years few by and before he knew it Anderson had himself a strange mismatch patch work of a family including himself, Kahlee, Jane, Annabeth and Wrex. It was odd for the man to think about since before he adopted Jane he had given up the idea of family, of course he had Kahlee but that was never something he had pictured actually sticking with both so focused on their careers. Now, however, Anderson couldn’t picture a life without them, even Wrex.

Over the years Anderson had remained the girls Commanding Officer and was pleased with their roles within the military. They were the best ground team the Alliance had ever seen and their ability to work together was astounding; Anderson would swear it was they could read each other’s minds.

At one point, Anderson even had to fight the Alliance brass who wanted to split the two women up so that they could hopefully teach others how to fight in a similar manner but Anderson was able to put a stop to it. He had to explain that the connection that the two had could not be trained, it just was. The trust that the women had for each other was the only reason that they were able to move and work the way they did and with both women being N7’s… well it was a no brainer that they were the best. Once the Brass realized that keeping the two women together was a strategic advantage they decided to leave the two alone.

Shortly after that fight was over and dealt with, Anderson was received confirmation that the SSV Tokyo crew would be getting two weeks of shore leave while the ship underwent some upgrades. Now, Anderson knew that the girls had been talking about taking a ‘girls vacation’ with their friend Emily but he also knew that the girls never spent the money on something they deemed a ‘pipe dream’. After he and finished making arrangements for the Tokyo, Anderson decided it was time he made their dream into reality.

**_To: Urdnot Wrex_ **

**_From: David Anderson_ **

_ Wrex, _

_ I hope this message finds you well my friend. I was just informed that the Tokyo will be getting a two week shore leave and I thought I would get you opinion on something. You and I both know that the girls have been talking for a while about take a vacation together somewhere. I was thinking that we could chip in and pay for the vacation for them. They have been working hard and I believe it would be nice for them to get some time to be ‘girls.’ We would, of course, let them plan the whole thing but if we paid they might actually do something for themselves for once. _

_ Please let me know what you think as soon as possible. Shore leave starts in one galactic week. _

_ All the best, _

_ Anderson _

Anderson closed his Omni-tool and began to work on a report that he had been putting off not expecting to hear back for a day or two but is shocked when not 5 minutes later his tool pings with a reply.

**_To: David Anderson_ **

**_From: Urdnot Wrex_ **

_ Anderson, _

_ Do it. Money sent. _

_ Wrex _

Anderson chuckled to himself; leave it to Wrex to write back the shortest reply possible. That once one thing he couldn’t fault the Krogan for, he was direct in his communication. Anderson left his quarters to search out the two ladies and tell them the good news. It wasn’t a surprise to find them in one of the ships observation lounges, it was one of their favorite places to be while on ship and the fact that they could play cards without taking up space in the mess was always a bonus.

“Hey ladies, mind if I join you.” Anderson said taking a seat beside Annabeth.

“Not at all, you’re just in time to see me win.” Annabeth replied with an evil grin on her face. Jane stuck her tongue out in response causing both Anderson and Annabeth to laugh. It was always entertaining to watch the two ladies play cards or any sort of game, they were fiercely competitive and both were sore losers as well as terrible winners. When the game came to an end Jane threw her hands up and said, “Whatever, I don’t like this game anyway.” While Annabeth started to sing;

‘ All I do is win win win no matter what

Got money on my mind I can never get enough

And every time I step up in the buildin'

Everybody hands go up’

At which point Jane punched her hard on the shoulder causing Annabeth to retaliate by grabbing Jane and trying to pull her into a headlock. Anderson watched in amusement for a moment before pulling the two apart before it became a full on fight.

Once they settled back down, Jane turned to him and asked “What’s up?” to which he was all too happy to answer.

“Well I just found out that we are heading back to the Citadel for two weeks of mandatory ship upgrades which means two weeks of leave of you all.” He stated and proceeded to watch the two girls forget their earlier scuffle and hive with an “Alright.” He smiled down at the two of them, not knowing the exciting news he still had for them. “That’s not all.” He continued, “Wrex and I have been talking and we have agreed to pay for the two of you, and Emily if she is free, to take your “girls” vacation. Now,” he said holding up his hands to stop them from interrupting. “We have agreed to pay but you two have to make the plans.”

“Really!?” Jane replied with a huge grin as Annabeth stared at him open mouthed. It was too good, normally it took a lot to get Annabeth speechless but apparently this had done it.

“Yes really, now go and plan. That’s an order.” He told them with a laugh as the two girls practically ran out of the room, they were even to excited to pick up their cards. Anderson couldn’t help but feel good that the girls were finally going to be doing something for themselves; it was time they took some time to relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vacation!! I wonder where they will go and what they will do! I hope you liked the Anderson PoV. I find him hard to write... Heh... oh well, hopefully it will become easier!
> 
> Oh, also, I want to thank everyone who is reading and hope you are enjoying it! :)


	11. Chapter 11 (Annabeth)

Jane, Emily and Annabeth had spent the last day and a half stuck on a hot and cramped passenger cruiser that was taking them to their vacation destination, Elysium. The three were ecstatic that they finally got to go on this vacation; they had been planning for it ever since Jane and Annabeth were reunited. With Emily being the only person outside of family that knew of Jane and Annabeth’s real relationship it was a no brainer that she joined them. Annabeth and Emily had become very close when they were in basic to the point that they jokingly called each other sister’s so when Jane re-entered Annabeth’s life she needed to tell her ‘adopted’ sister about it right away. It didn’t take long after that for Jane and Emily too become close friends as well allowing for the three of them to spend most of their shore leaves together.

“Okay, so where are we staying?” Jane asked as she tried to study the map of the city she had brought up on her Omni-tool.

Annabeth was the one who had made all of the reservations leaving it up to her to be the one to lead the other two. Out of all three of them, Annabeth was the one who liked to make these sorts of plans. Ask Jane to look at a map and plan a battle, easy. Ask Emily to look at a map and find out how to get basic systems to every person that lived here, done. Ask either of them to plan a vacation and it was like nails on a chalkboard, neither knew how to make decisive decisions when it came to having fun leaving it to all up to Annabeth. “In a hostel not far from here.” Annabeth replied heading in, what she hoped, was the right direction. Whenever on vacation Annabeth refused to look at maps; she was a big believer in winging it so other than where they were staying and for how long she had no idea where anything was. Even remembering the direction of the hostel was asking a lot.

“Right… why did we choose that over a nice hotel?” Emily groaned as she started to follow Annabeth. It took everything Annabeth had to not laugh at her friend, she looked like a big child the way she dragged her feet and pouted.

“Come on Em! We’re in the military. We’re used to roughing it. If we got a hotel with nice beds we would never sleep.” Jane joked as she shoved Emily playfully. Emily gave Jane a sour look causing Jane to laugh.

“J’s right, we aren’t used to plush beds and endlessly warm showers. If you wanted that you should have helped me with booking everything, this was a cheaper option than a hotel and we now have more money to spend on other things like clothes and food and booze and well you get the point” Annabeth tells her as they continue to walk towards the hostel that Annabeth could now see in the distance. “Besides, Dad and Anderson are paying for accommodations and travel so this makes me feel a bit better about it.” Annabeth looked at the other two and could see that they both agreed with her point. Even though all three of them knew that Wrex had enough money saved to rent out an entire hotel on the Citadel for several weeks and Anderson also had money out the wazoo they didn’t want to take advantage. It’ wasn’t like they didn’t have their own money; Annabeth had been saving money for so long that she had a small fortune by now but that wasn’t really the point of the trip and they all knew it.

“Ugh… okay, I know you two are right but I’m still wishing we had a hotel.” Emily said as Jane and Annabeth chuckle at her antics.

The girls had just over a week on Elysium and they decided that they weren’t going to waste it. After they had arrived at the hostel and unpacked they decided that a walk around the colony would be a good start since Annabeth had decided that maps were not to be used. They stopped for food at a small café not far from their hostel and tried desperately not to laugh at the waiter’s face when he witnessed how much food the tiny women could put away. Annabeth, needing more energy than the other two, and ordered dessert, some cheesecake much to the astonishment of the wait staff.

“Wow!” Annabeth said as she shoved another spoon full of cake into her mouth. “This is real cheese cake… like Earth quality cheese cake!” The shock and surprise in her voice was not hidden well. After spending so much time on ships with MRE’s and rations having real food was always the best but having real  _ human _ food, even on a human colony, was rare.

The waiter smiled politely down at her and replied with a simple, “Of course, Dear. We only serve the best.” And serve the best they did.

Annabeth could tell that the place was one of the more popular places for people to eat, ever since they sat down a line had slowly started to form outside the door. Unlike with everyone else, however, the staff didn’t try and rush the three ladies out the door and Annabeth had a good idea why. The moment they got the bill and looked at the amount of food they had ordered and the cost it really made sense. The bill was close to 500 credits which would normally be a pricey bill for the inhabitants of this colony but for the girls it was not that bad, to get the amount of food they had consumed on the Citadel it would be close to double that.

The ladies eventually left the café and continued to check out the sites of the city and it wasn’t until later that they returned to the café for supper. They staff greeted them with open arms and they women were wined and dined until they were full and happy. For their first day being on the colony the three women had to agree that this vacation was definitely worth every credit.

\--

The girls spent the next few of days shopping and exploring the colony and all it had to offer. Even though they were military women, the three women loved clothes to the point that they knew they would have to ship most of their purchases home because they definitely didn’t have enough room for everything in their suitcases.

As they shopped around and scoped out the stores they noticed just how popular Elysium had become as a vacation destination. There were a decent amount of military personnel there on shore leave along with an impressive amount of aliens. From Annabeth count she had seen more Asari than any other species but she had still seen several Turian, Krogan, Salarian and a Hanar. Annabeth had to admit that she was pleased with the amount of non-human visitors; it meant that Humans were warming up to the other species but also the other species were warming up to the Humans. Asari, Hanar and Salarians had never really been a problem but the fact that there were Turians and Krogan was impressive and gave Annabeth hope.

As they walked the women watched the crowd, they weren’t looking for anyone in particular but they were looking for someone that might be willing to show them a ‘good time’. Out of them all, Emily was the most adventurous when it came to sexual partners, not caring about sex or species. Not that Annabeth or Jane were against other species, quite the opposite actually, but they were more of just men kind of people and to go for a different species was always something that one should do some research about before jumping into bed with.

As they started to relax Annabeth decided that the group needed to have some adult fun so they went out dancing and all of them found themselves a ‘partner’ for the evening. Annabeth and Jane both found some good looking guys who worked and lived on Elysium while Emily found herself a nice, good looking purple Asari tourist. As they danced the night away the three girls couldn’t help but enjoy the freedom of being away from their families and military life, even if it was for just a little while.

\--

On the sixth day of their stay, the girls decided that they would have lunch, relax and have a drink or two. Every day so far had been consumed with either shopping or going on adventures. They had hiked one of the most beautiful paths any of them had ever been on, went skydiving and even snorkeling in the small bay a few miles away. But not today, no today was about relaxing. It was easy, their only plan was to get day drunk off of wine/beer and eat the town out of desserts. It was simple and required little to no movement.

Jane and Emily had just finished their first glass of pinot grigio, Annabeth was halfway done her second, when she suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She sat up straighter in her chair and started to look around, she wasn’t sure what it was but she could feel something was off. An uneasy feeling passed over her; she could feel it in her gut that something is wrong.

“What is it?” Emily asked but moments later both her and Jane seemed to feel it too.

All three women slowly stood and looked around reaching for their pistols, that where concealed nicely under their shirts, when an explosion went off three blocks down. Annabeth yelled out in shock before all three women started sprinting towards the blaze, guns ready, when gunfire sounded in the distance. Civilians were running in every direction but three girls formed ranks and started to move in towards the sound of fighting. Annabeth quickly erected a biotic barrier around the three of them as they moved; barriers weren’t her strong suit but if they were heading into a fight even her half assed barrier was better than nothing.

It didn’t take long for the girls to find where the gunfire was coming from and Annabeth used her biotics to shield the three the best she could from the on slot of bullets. When they closed in Annabeth could see the problem instantly.

“Batarians! It had to be Fucking God Damn Batarians!” Annabeth breathed through gritted teeth. They weren’t all Batarians, there were Vorcha, Krogan, Turians and even some Humans but the majority were Batarians. Annabeth knew this seen all too well; the pirates and slavers had apparently decided that they wanted to take a big pay day and attacked one of the biggest colonies in this area of space. There was no way Annabeth was going to allow that.

“Stay focused Annie!” Jane said, sounding worried. Annabeth knew that she tended to get a bit reckless when it came to slavers, pirates or overall any sort of raid that reminded her or Mindoir but she knew that if she was reckless it could end up costing Annabeth not only her life but there sister and best friends as well.

“I’m fine!” Annabeth responded as calmly as she could, trying to convince the others that she was indeed, fine.

“Look! Let's make our way over there. You see that group of Turians over there?!” Emily pointed in the direction of a shop that had a handful of Turians grouped together shooting at anything with mercenary armor on. “We could rally up and push the Bastards back!”

“Right! Let’s move!” Jane ordered and the other two fell in line.

Neither girl argued; all three had switched into Alliance mode of operation and Jane was the commanding officer. They quickly made their way over to where the Turians had made a hasty blockade and started to help shoot any bastard that came into view. It didn’t take long before Jane started calling out orders and it was no surprise that the Turians followed them without question. The Turians almost looked relieved to have a commanding officer take over and it wasn’t long after that six Asari and three Krogan joined them. From where she was sitting, Annabeth could tell that four of the Asari were commandos, easy to point out with how they conducted themselves while the other two seemed to just want to help.

“Right.” Jane said as she turned to the group who weren’t maintaining the blockade. “I am going to take a small group of us around to try and flank the enemy. Now it looks like the Bastards have realized they have some real resistance coming so they are starting to form ranks. While my team is moving around to flank, this team needs to start pushing forward so that they don’t see us coming. You!” She points at one of the older looking commandos. “You will Stay here and lead Alpha while I take Bravo.” The Asari nodded her head and moved to take a more secure spot behind the blockade. Jane then turned and pointed first to one of the Krogan and then to one of the Turians, “You and you are with Jackson and myself on team Bravo.”

All three of them nodded their heads and took up positions that would work best for the four man team. Both and Annabeth and Jane gave Emily a nod of ‘see you on the other side’ before departing. The fight was long, hot and dirty but after while the tide started to turn. Civilians started showing up and helping with the resistance and soon Annabeth separated from Jane to man her own squad of Civilians. More and more joined the cause and finally after what seemed like forever the last Batarian fell and the resistance was victorious.

Once the fight was over and they were sure that the Pirates where gone, the girls along with those who fought beside them started to help with the wounded.

Annabeth was happy to find that even though the Batarians had the jump on the colony, there were few casualties. Most of the casualties were found near the first bomb site, showing that once the resistance started to form they took the brunt of the assault.

Not long after the fighting was over an Alliance cruiser touched down to take over command from Jane who had been designated as the leader by those who had survived. All three were eventually cleared to go so they, along with the original group of fighters made their way over to a nearby bar. The owner had already returned and recognized them as the group who formed the resistance and proceeded to give them free beer, telling them that they would never pay for anything ever again at his bar. The group cheered and for the first time in several hours then girls sat down and started to relax their aching muscles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? I thought that since they were on vacation they would probably have a day where they got day drunk. I mean everyone does have that one day, right? Or is that just me. ;) I also thought that there would be a mismatch of a squad to lead since they were in a Colony and not a base so I thought that having Krogan, Turians and Asari there would make sense.


	12. Chapter 12 (Jane)

Jane could not believe that only few hours ago Annie, Emily and herself had been sitting at one of the outdoor bars having a glass of wine and planning on getting ‘Day Drunk’. Up until the fight had broken out, Jane had been having such a good time. Shopping had done a number on her bank account and she felt no guilt, Jane rarely spent money on anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary, she would rather spend her money on weapon upgrades that the Alliance wouldn’t pay for rather than clothes but this was different. This was a vacation; she was allowed to splurge on things like that, right?

Then all their plans of a nice relaxing day went to crap when she saw Annie stiffen. After being reunited with Annie for a few years, Jane had gotten really good at reading her sister and it was very rare when Annie’s instincts were wrong. When she had seen Annie’s mood change, Jane immediately started searching for the cause of her discomfort and noticed she could hear a high pitched whining sound that was soon followed by and exposition.

When the exposition went off, Jane had a momentary flashback of Mindoir and almost panicked. It was so similar to how the raiders had hit the colony that it took Annie yelling something to snap her out of it. As they ran, Jane saw that the raiders were in fact mostly Batarians mixed with some Turian, Vorcha, Krogan and some humans but her mind was on Annie’s reaction. Ever since they started to work together, Jane had noticed that Annie became more reckless when dealing with situations that hit a little too close to home and this was definitely one of those times. However, her worry was for nothing because when she turned and looked at her sister she could see that Annie was determined to keep her mind in the fight. Annie was smart, she knew that if she did something dumb, especially now when they had no armor and only armed with pistols, that it would more than likely end with one or all of them dead.

Now that the fighting was over and the group was sitting at a bar with the rest of the original resistance group she couldn’t help but smile knowing that they had trusted her to lead them. Them, this mismatched group of beings that normally would not have talked to each other where now sitting in a bar talking as if they were old friends. Jane was proud of what the group had accomplished and was even more proud of the colonist that had fought alongside them. It wasn’t every day that you saw civilians throwing you ammo or picking up a gun that they had never used before and run head first into combat but they were protecting their home. You never messed with someone’s home and even though most of the civilians were just that, civilians, no self-respecting Human would move to a colony without knowing at least the basics of how to hold a gun. The stats spoke for themselves, most everyone had survived the assault except for the people who were hit in the initial attack.

While she was lost in her own thoughts, Jane hadn’t noticed the man making his way towards her until Annie jumped up into a formal salute. Jane looked up at the man and was soon on her feet as well; as she brought up her hand to salute, she almost knocked her beer off the table.

“Admiral Hackett, Sir.” She declared as she used her other hand to steady her drink before snapping back to attention.

“At ease, soldiers.” Hackett replied with a chuckle and salute of his own. “You three have earned those beers, please take your seat.” He said as he grabbed a chair for himself. “Now, the formal sit. Rep. will come later but tell me Lieutenant-Commander. What happened here?”

That was a loaded question and Jane wasn’t sure she even knew how to answer it. Of course she knew what they had done but as to why the raiders had been her or why they had retreated after such a hard fight she had no clue, the only thing she knew was that they had put up on hell of a fight.

As she gave her unofficial report everyone in the bar helped fill in the blanks, after all she only knew what she and her group had done. She had no idea what happened when she had left Emily at the blockage or when Annie headed off with a group of civilians only that they had succeeded in pushing the enemy back. They had tried to stay in Omni-tool range but in the middle of a firefight that wasn’t necessarily the first thing on your mind.

The more the story came together, however, the more Jane was seeing a common theme; they all agreed if it had not been for Jane’s leadership and fast thinking the casualties would have been much greater. Jane was flattered that they thought that but she didn’t feel like their praise was warranted. She had just done her job along with Annie and Emily but even they agreed that Jane had done more than what she was giving herself credit for. Even though she didn’t 100% agree with what they were saying there was nothing she could say or do that would convince them otherwise.

“Well.” Hackett said as he looked them over. “The three of you will be receiving commendations for your actions here, you did well. There is a transport waiting for you if you would like to make your way back to the Citadel after all this. I think you have earned some rest; the transport leaves in four hours.” Hackett told them to Jane’s relief. After everything that transpired here all she wanted to do was sprawl out on the couch back in their apartment. Hackett stood giving all three women a firm and a nod to the rest of the room before heading back out into the streets to lead the teams who are taking care of the clean-up. It was a hard job but someone had to do it.

The group finished their beers and bid everyone a farewell before heading back to their hostel to collect their belongings. It didn’t take long to pack since they had decided that they were going to have most of their things shipped to the Citadel versus trying to cram it all into their suitcases. Even with being in the military and knowing how to pack efficiently they still had way too much to even attempt at packing it away.

As they were finishing up, Annie waved Jane over to her bunk allowing both of them to fit in the screen of her Omni-tool. After everything that had happened Jane and Annie both knew that they would have to get a hold of both Wrex and Anderson to let them know that they were alright. They knew it would probably be better for them to hear the news from their daughters instead of the news reporter. It was a great idea in theory but they were too late. Both men picked up the call within the first ring and Jane could tell that they were relieved to hear that they made it out unharmed. Apparently news from the colony was sketchy at best, leaving the reports to guess at what had happened since the Alliance had yet to make an official statement. The two girls reassured both men and informed them that they would be heading back to the Citadel shortly. They closed the call not long after and made their way to the transport. It was nice for them to be going home.

\--

A few weeks later they were back on Elysium for the Alliance ceremony that was put together to help thank the people who defended the colony from the raiders that had tried to break them, or so the reporters said. Jane was happy to see that not only were Annie, Emily and her were being honored but all of the others who had made up the resistance. She could see the group of Turians, Asari, Krogan and humans that had come together to help hold the line and was proud to be standing with them.

The ceremony was long, warm and filled with speeches from politicians and dignitaries from all over, talking about the bravery that the ladies and their multi-specie team had shown in the face of such an overwhelming force. They commended them on how they had driven the raiders back and out of the colony even with how drastically outnumbered and outgunned they had been.

It didn’t take long for the reporters and politicians to name the battle, the Skyllian Blitz, and it was then that Jane realised how much she hated the media. The fact that they were more concerned about using the name of the battle versus remembering the lost made her sick but she didn’t show her annoyance, she just stood at attention biting her tongue so not to say something that she would regret.

As the speeches went on and the questions came in from the reporters Jane was surprised to find that the most prominently asked questions, and praise went to her. She still didn’t feel like she deserved to be the one receiving most of the credit, Annie and Ta’rase, the Asari Commando, deserved just as much credit for holding their positions as she did for flanking the enemy. No one would listen, however, even Annie and Ta’rase agreed that she deserved all the credit that was given to her but Jane didn’t like it. They both were the bigger heroes in her mind.

\--

As the years went by and Jane became more experienced, she slowly started to recognize that what she, had done had been worth everything that she was given; yes she still felt that the others deserved more credit for their part but the more time past the less she tried to correct people, there was no point since they wouldn’t listen. Whenever she thought back on that day she couldn’t help but shake her head at the sheer stupidity that they had shown as they ran bravely into battle. They had run into battle with no armor, no back up and their only weapons had been pistols. Now that she was older and more experienced she looked back and knew that they had been idiots but she couldn’t really fault them, it had been the right decision.

It had been almost eight years now and they had all learned a lot since then; they had all become better fighters over the years with both Annie and Jane completing ICT and earning the rank of N7 and Emily becoming an outstanding technical expert who could hack almost any system. Jane may be an engineer but Emily had put her to shame on many occasions but that had all come to an end only a few short weeks ago leaving a gaping hole in Jane’s chest.

“Commander Shepard.” Hackett’s voice called to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. After the Blitz, Hackett had remained in contact with the three girls and Jane couldn’t help think of him as part of the family, almost like a grandfather of sorts. It was good to see him but with the circumstances being what they were she couldn’t help feeling the loss that much more.

Quickly Jane got to her feet giving him a formal salute, even off duty and as sad as she was she could still do this task without bursting into tears. “Admiral.” She said as he made his way down the hall to meet her.

“At ease, Shepard.” He said once he was closer, it had been a few years since she had seen the Admiral in person but he looked just the same as always; the only difference being instead of the calculating look he normally wore had been replaced with a soft sadness that came from seeing another soldier's life snuffed out. “I’m sorry to pull you away like this Shepard, I know that Emily was a close friend of yours and I am sorry for your loss.” Hackett gave her a firm, comforting hand before returning to business. “I was hoping Jackson would be able to join us.”

“She will be Sir.” Jane responded as she tried to keep her voice as even as possible. “She was just giving her condolences to Emily’s family. She should be her soon.”

“Not soon, now.” Came the shaky but strong voice of Annie behind her; it had actually surprised Jane that she was here so quickly. Annie had been much closer to Emily’s family then Jane had been over the years so it had been harder for her to leave the family’s side once the service and finished. “Admiral.” She saluted before join Jane at ease.

“Jackson, good to see you, even if the circumstances are less than ideal.” He replied, giving her the same hand he had given Jane only moments before. “I know that you both will need some time to process everything so the both of you have been put on mandatory 48 hour shore leave, effective immediately.” He told them and Jane couldn’t help but be grateful; normally you only got leave if it was family, legally family, that was killed and even though Emily was like a sister they were technically not family.

“Once your leave is up, both of you will be transferred to your new station. Don’t worry,” He said quickly before either of them could say anything. “Both of you are being placed under Captain Anderson’s control aboard the new SSV Normandy.” Hackett informed them. “I will leave it for Anderson to tell you your new roles and responsibilities.” With a nod of his head Jane could see that the professional conversation was over and instead of the Admiral standing in front of them it was just Hackett. “I know it must not be easy losing someone so close and especially to something you can’t fight but take heart and know that she will be looking down on both of you.” He said giving them a kind smile and placing one of his hands on their shoulders. He gave a quick squeeze before nodding them before turning and leaving them to their thoughts.

“Well… at least we get to be under Anderson’s Command again.” Annie said eventually but Jane could hear the pain in her voice and when she turned to her sister she could see the tight-lipped smile she was trying to pass off as real. “He’s right you know?” She continued. “Going out in the middle of a fight you can see it coming but this… to sickness. She looked so healthy and normal.” And soon Annie’s eyes were filled with tears.

“I know, Annie… I know.” Jane whispered, pulling her into a hug. After everything the three of them had been through to lose Emily so quickly to an illness no one saw coming was hard but unfortunately it was too late, there was nothing they could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit I am sad that Em died so early. I know that I will probably regret it later on but I just wrote what came naturally. RIP Em! );


	13. Chapter 13 (Annabeth)

It had been three days since Emily’s funeral and Annabeth was a mess. She couldn’t help it, Emily had been her best friend and unofficial adopted sister since they had met on their way to basic and now that she was gone, Annabeth felt like a huge piece of her was missing. She knew that if Emily were still alive she would have been kicking her butt for being so useless these past few days. Emily had always been good that way; she would always tell her ‘the dead are gone, the best we can do is keep going and hope we can make a difference.’ Even though she knew that Emily had been right it didn’t make it any easier. Emily wasn’t the first friend she had lost but she was definitely the first friend she had lost to illness rather than duty, it was hard to face. It was something that no one really ever wants to acknowledge but was always there, death was one thing you couldn’t run from.

Annabeth knew she would miss Emily but she also knew that she had to get her head back in the game or someone could die under her watch. With their leave over, Jane and Annabeth were on their way to Earth to meet up with Anderson and their new crew. Annabeth hoped that the new crew would be up to par with her and Jane’s standards but for that to even be a consideration both of them would have to have their heads on straight.

“We can give ourselves until Earth.” Annabeth finally said as she looked up at her sister. Annabeth could tell that Jane understood what she was meaning so she didn’t elaborate. They both knew the score now, once they hit Earth they had to be ready to work and not mourn. “Yes, your right.” Jane replied. “We owe it to Em.”

Annabeth nodded her head in agreement; she was feeling better knowing that they were on the same page. Even though they knew little of what their duties were going to be or who was on the crew, they knew that if they were being asked to join, it generally meant there was going to be a lot of fighting.

It didn’t take long to reach Earth from the Citadel which gave them both little time to get their heads on straight but they had a goal in mind and once their minds were set on something nothing got in their way. It only took the two an hour to clear the docks and find out where the SSV Normandy was docked. Apparently for being a highly classified ship, she was a terribly bad kept secret at the docks. As they walked in the direction of the ship they could hear people talking about it but from what they could tell no one really knew anything other than it was of unique design.

As they wound their way along the docks to the Alliance check point the docking official welcomed them to the area and informed them that they could find the Captain closer to the ship. They were also informed of the temporary accommodations that they would be staying at since the ship would not be taking off for another couple of weeks. The ship was still in the final stages of safety checks so the two women thought that this would give them time to meet the crew and familiarize themselves with the ship; or so they thought.

“Commander, Lieutenant-Commander.” Called the all too familiar voice of Anderson who happened to be making his way towards them.

Both girls gave each other a quick look before snapping into attention. “Captain!” Both girls said as they tried not to laugh.

“It’s Anderson and you two know that!” He glared at them in mock indignation.

Annabeth started to laugh while Jane mutters “You started it.” which in turn causes Anderson to laugh. “I suppose you are right.” He replied with a shake of his head before giving them a calculating look. Both women knew it was coming; he was studying the try and get a sense of where their heads were at. Anderson knew the two of them well enough that no words were needed for the exchange, they were sad and heartbroken but they would be all right; they had to be.

After he had determined that they were fit for duty Anderson started briefing the two on their new roles. The look on Jane’s face when she was told she would be the XO was priceless; mouth open, eyes wide and a strangled sound trying to leave her voice box was too good. Once she regained a bit of composure Jane tried to object telling them that there must be better qualified people to be the Executive Officer of the Alliance’s new, most impressive ships but Anderson would have none of it; he told her that he wanted not only someone qualified but someone he trusted as his ‘right hand man’ and Jane was prefect for the job. He also told her it was about time that she had gotten into a Commanding role outside of combat, stating that she wasn’t going to be young forever which was replied with a simple huff of air and role of the eyes.

Once Anderson and Annabeth were done giving Jane a ribbing and Anderson was done giving them their duties he took them over to meet the Turian that Annabeth had noticed watching them. She had been studying him out of the corner of her eye, mostly doing threat assessment, but noticed that he didn’t seem to be hostile which allowed her to relax a bit. “Ladies, this is Nihlus Kryik with the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance and will be joining us on our maiden voyage.” Anderson said as he introduced the Turian. Nihlus bows his head to them in the traditional Turian greeting which both Jane and Annabeth returned.

“A Spectre? Not that I have a problem with it, Sir but why is a Spectre coming with us?” Annabeth asked as she looked the Turian over. She was a bit surprised that a Spectre would waste their time on a job like this, especially since they weren’t to depart for another couple of weeks but who was she to argue. If the Council wanted a Spectre aboard the ship then so be it, it just seemed silly and above the man’s paygrade to babysit a ship.

As she gave the man a quick once over she couldn’t help but check Nihlus out. Now, Annabeth had never been with someone of a different species but she would never consider herself to be a xenophobe either. Annabeth only saw beings for what they were so she wasn’t at all surprised to find that she thought that the man was good looking. He was tall like all Turians, had beautiful cream coloured markings all over his face, with red rust coloured plates and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. _Yeah… he’s hot_ , she thought in the back of her mind before focusing back on Anderson.

“Nihlus is he to oversee that everything goes smoothly. The Council helped pay for this ship and with it being a mix of Turian and Human design having him here will be an asset.” Anderson informs them.

Annabeth could see Jane out of the corner of her eye and can tell that they both know that there was more to the story than what Anderson was saying but before either could comment Anderson was ‘called’ away taking Jane with him. Anderson quickly told Annabeth where to find the other members of the crew before heading off with Jane towards the ship’s airlock.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Annabeth turned and faced the Spectre giving him another once over. When she finally looked back up into his eyes she could tell he knew she was checking him out but Annabeth didn’t care. She was never one to be shy about anything and she sure as hell wasn’t going to get shy now. The best thing she could do now was try and dissipate fluttering feeling she got when his intense stare met hers. “Hi! I am Lieutenant-Commander Annabeth Jackson but you can call me Annabeth or Jackson, I don’t care which.” She said as she held her arm out in a more customary form of Turian greeting.

After a moment of hesitation, which Annabeth read a surprise, Nihlus bought out his arm and clasped her forearm. “It’s… nice to meet you Lieutenant-Commander Jackson.” He replied sounding a bit unsure, as if he wasn’t used to people being so nice to him. She couldn’t blame him; a lot of Human’s were still leery when it came to Turians and with him being a Spectre, well, it probably came with the job. It was a universal stigma it seemed, people didn’t trust high ranking officials; whether it be military, politicians, cops you name it and what was a Spectre if not a cop with a licence to kill.

As he let go of her arm, Annabeth decided to take a chance and have a conversation with the man. She quickly decided that if the Spectre was tagging along she wasn’t going to lie to him and she also wanted him to know where he stood. For some reason she wanted him to know that she wasn’t just some dumb soldier that followed orders blindly. “I know that there is more to the story of why you are here. I’m not dumb and neither is Shep, we both saw threw Anderson’s smoke screen about you being here for the Council and the Hierarchy but I won’t pry. I know that being a Spectre means that it is probably classified and above my pay grade but don’t think you are fooling me.”

Nihlus seemed to study her with his piercing green eyes and Annabeth couldn’t help but stare into them. They were gorgeous, green was one of her favorite colours and his eyes were the most beautiful shade of green and she couldn’t help but get a little lost in them. Seeming to come to a decision Nihlus relaxed his posture a bit before speaking. “And how do you know that I’m not here for just that? The Council and the Hierarchy have put in a lot of time and resources into this project and want to see that this ship is up to standards.” He stated as if he had expected people to question his presence. It was funny though, it almost seemed like he hadn’t expected it from her and for some unknown reason that annoyed Annabeth.

“Easy,” She scoffed, “one, I have worked under Anderson before and I can tell when he is withholding information and he is definitely doing that now. Two, I am very perceptive; I can generally tell when I am being lied to or being feed half-truths and I do agree that the Council and Hierarchy would want to know about the ships performance but I question why _you_ are here. Why send a Spectre, it seems a bit below your paygrade, no? Also why send anyone at all, if this project is about bringing our species closer and Humanity into the galactic community it seems strange that neither would trust what the Alliance reported back to them. No, I think you are here for something else entirely but the ship's maiden voyage is just a good excuse.” Annabeth said as she shifted her weight from to one foot to the other.

“Really, you got all of that from what Anderson did or didn’t say? Some would call you paranoid for thinking along the lines you are thinking. What about this situation makes you think that either Captain Anderson or I are lying to you?” He replied sounding curious. Annabeth had worked with enough Turians throughout her life to get the gist of what his subharmonics were saying and she was surprised to hear what she thought was amusement.

Shrugging off the wave of confusion at his amusement she answered as best she could. “It’s not really something I can explain really, just gut instincts I guess. It’s the same way I feel when I meet people.” Annabeth explained, “Within the first couple minutes of meeting someone I can generally tell if I can trust someone or not; professionally anyway, personally it gets a bit messy but that’s beside the point.” She said waving the thought away as if it was a bug flying around her head. “It’s a useful trait to have and one that the Captain and Commander like and take full advantage of; I am their go to person when it comes to people.” She finished. The entire time she had been talking she had to force herself not to stare at him for too long. They were having a conversation about work; if they weren’t then she would have probably stared all night long.

Again there was a pause in conversation as the Spectre considered her words as if he wasn’t used to having conversations with people outside of 100% business. It didn’t help that Annabeth was trying to prove to him that she wasn’t a moron. She wasn’t sure why it was so important to her, she just felt like it was. “Right... What you're saying is?” He asked and Annabeth knew that he was trying to figure out what her words were hinting at.

“That I’m sure that there was something that Anderson and Shepard needed to go over but I’m sensing another ulterior motive. I mean, here we are, just you and I having a friendly conversation which allows me to get a feel for you, so to speak.” She stated simply. Annabeth didn’t know why she was telling him this, normally she liked to feel people out without their guard up but for some reason she felt that informing the Spectre would be an advantage of sorts. And she never ignored what her gut feelings told her so she decided to roll with it.

Nihlus looked at her skeptically as if judging if what she said could be true. Would Anderson and Jane just leave him to be alone with someone to see if he was trustworthy? He would never know unless he asked and that didn’t seem like something that the Spectre would do. She could again she him weighing her words, trying to decide if there was truth to her words or if they were just BS so she decided that she would prove it to him.

“I also have away with getting people to talk to me.” She stated like it should be obvious to him. “I mean really, how many people come up to you and have a conversation? I feel is if normally you would have walked away by now but for some unknown reason you’re still standing here.” She pointed out, raising an eyebrow and smirking at him.

Nihlus nodded his head as if hearing her say the words made him realize she is right. She could see instantly some walls go up as he gave her a steady stare. “I have work to do.” Was all he said before he turned and walked away.

Annabeth had to try and hold back the chuckle that wanted to spill past her lips but managed to call after him in a light, sing-songy voice. “I look forward to talking to you again Nihlus.” She saw the Turian stride falter for a moment causing her to smirk knowing that she had surprised the Spectre. It made her feel good for some reason and she was surprised to feel the butterflies that start flutter around her stomach; it was the first time she had felt those butterflies in a long time and she knew that she was screwed.

\--

Annabeth smiled up at Nihlus as they walked around the compound. It had been a fun evening so far filled with good, homemade food with lots of laughs, a few drinks and Annabeth couldn’t help but feel safe walking around with the Spectre’s arm around her waist.

It had taken the better part of the two weeks of dry dock for Annabeth to get the Spectre on a date and now that it was their last night on Earth she regretted not trying harder sooner. The night started off great with Annabeth making supper for them both them and having a nice quite meal with nothing to worry about but enjoying each other’s company.

The last two weeks had been filled with familiarizing herself with not only the ship but the crew as well. Annabeth knew that Anderson had handpicked everyone that was to be aboard the ship, except Nihlus of course, but it was habit for her to get an overall feel of the crew. This helped Jane out a lot since she was up to her elbows in work trying to get all of her duties squared away but it didn’t leave a lot of time for Annabeth to get to know the Spectre nearly as well as she would have liked until now.

As they walked they exchanged stories of past missions trying to outdo the other. Annabeth knew she would lose since Nihlus was a Spectre and all but she never thought she would almost bow down in defeat. She had just finished telling him about the time she charged onto a slaver ship and took out all stood in her way all the while Jane was trying to make sure she didn’t get herself killed when he decided to pull out his ace in the sleeve.

“I do have one more that I could tell you that isn’t classified.” He said as they sat down on a park bench not far from their accommodations. “Do you know what an Asari Justicar is?” He asked and Annabeth nodded immediately.

Over her years working with Wrex, Annabeth had run into plenty different people and she would never forget the time she had met the Asari Justicar. Well, not so much as met but saw her in action. Wrex and Annabeth had docked on some backwater Asari world to refuel and pick up supplies when a massive riot broke out. She had seen an Asari running as fast as she could, biotics flowing, towards one of the ships that was about to take off. She threw people out of her way and launched herself into ship which took off moments after the airlock closed. The riot was still going on and Annabeth and Wrex were forced to defend their ship until another Asari dressed in a sink tight red suit with gold detailing started to make her way towards them, killing all in her path.

Annabeth had been sixteen at the time and was mesmerized but the woman’s power and abilities. When the woman saw Wrex and Annabeth defending their ship she came over finishing off the last of the people who seemed not to notice that everyone else was dead. She had marched up to them and asked if they had seen another Asari wearing a black leather tight suit come through and when they confirmed that they had she questioned them until she got all the information she needed. Once it was all over Annabeth did her research and found out that they hadn’t just met some random cold blooded killer but an Asari Justicar. She was a bit in awe about the situation and was happy that both she and Wrex had made it out of the encounter alive.

Receiving her acknowledgement, Nihlus launched into his own story about his encounter with a Justicar and Annabeth was completely captivated with him, it, whatever… She couldn’t help but smile as he regaled her with how he made his daring escape. As she listened, Annabeth couldn’t help but feel herself falling for the rust coloured Spectre and knew that she was done for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter mainly because I wanted a little more Nihlus. I mean you get so little Nihlus and I thought that Annabeth would be the one to get under his skin... or plates... or whatever!


	14. Chapter 14 (Jane)

The two weeks of dry dock flew by for Jane so fast that she hadn’t even realized that the two weeks were up until she was getting ready to move all her gear into the XO’s cabin. With her new duties as Executive Officer, she had to learn everything she could about the ship and the role as Captain encase anything happened to Anderson while out on mission; not that she really wanted to think about why she needed to know the information but every soldier knew the risks and it was Jane’s duty to not let to crew down.

Even though it had been two weeks since she found out her new command post, Jane still didn’t feel like she was the best candidate for the position. There were other people within the Alliance with more experienced that would have been suited for the job, not that she was downplaying her abilities, she knew she could do the job it was just strange that someone with more seniority hadn’t been selected. Jane understood that Anderson wanted someone he trusted as his second in command but something still felt strange about the situation and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

After her first meeting with the Turian Spectre, Jane and Anderson left Annie to do what she did best. It was well known to the both of them that Annie was an amazing judge of character no matter the situation and both Jane and Anderson used it to their advantage whenever they could; if Annie found the Spectre trustworthy then they would. It was only about 20 minutes after they had left the two strangers standing on the docks before Annie came strolling into the CIC and told Anderson that she and a good feeling about the Turian. At the time Jane thought nothing of it but as the days when on she found it strange because whenever she had tried and talked to the Spectre he seemed cold and unfriendly but Annie had never been wrong so Jane wasn’t going to start questioning her now.

Jane was disappointed, however, she had been on Earth for two weeks now and still had yet to have any real conversions with the crew, see any sights or even have a meal with her sister. It was frustrating since this was her first time since ICT being back on Earth but she knew that she had to get her duties squared away before they left planet but it still bothered her. As for the crew, she knew most of their names and ranks but she was only left with the information that Annie feed her second hand. She loved Annie but she would often add bits of information that didn’t really matter like how cute Lieutenant Alenko’s butt was or how Corporal Jenkins would be a good soldier once he mellowed out. It was, however, funny to hear her try and re-enact people’s voices.

Annie was a huge asset when it came to getting the ship ready to leave port. With her skill set she was good at helping out everywhere but engineering. She worked well with the pilot as well with the cargo crew and even though she was in charge of the armory she would help out where ever asked.

Everything was going great with the exception of one thing; it didn’t matter what she was doing, she could be reading reports or assisting with loading the ships supplies, she would find the Spectre either watching her or, on the rare occasion, Annie. It was like she had a shadow and it was driving her nuts and by the end of the second week she was about to tell Annie she was wrong and just shot the damn Turian. She never would of course since that would be overkill to the ‘crime’ but that didn’t mean she hadn’t thought about punching the man.

\--

The ships VI sent Jane a message alerting her, letting her know that everyone was on board and they were ready for takeoff. The thought that they were finally leaving Earth filled Jane with a sense of excitement and apprehension. She knew that some of the nervous came from her new post but part of them came due to the fact that this would be the first jump that the Normandy and ever taken and even though everything was in order it still made her nervous.

It didn’t take long for the Normandy to liftoff and make its way to the relay so Jane decided to make her way up to the bridge. Watch a ship go through the relay was one thing Jane always enjoyed watching and could do it without having to take a break from her duties since she needed to know how the ship was running.

As she made her way out of the comm room she heard the pilot’s voice, Fight-Lieutenant Jeff “Joker” Moreau, come over comm.  _ 'The Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence. _ ’ Jane quickened her steps as she made her way through the CIC, she knew that if they could see the relay it wouldn’t be long. People were moving around from station to station in a hustle trying to make the launch as smooth as possible; with it being the ships first jump everyone wanted it to go well.

‘ _ We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination _ .’ There was a brief pause before he continued, ‘ _ The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector… All stations are secure for transit _ .’ She could hear it in the man’s voice that he was excited to be the one to take the Normandy through her paces and if rumors were right, the only reason he was flying the damn ship was because he snuck on board and took the thing for a joy ride leading the Alliance on a chase until he redocked. Apparently that got Anderson’s attention because instead of a court martial he was here flying the ship. That had happened a week before Jane and Annie had made it to Earth but one of the stories she could believe being true after meeting the man.

Jane had just walked onto the bridge when Joker informed everyone that they were cleared to go and began the approach to the relay. “Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…” Joker said as Jane stood behind him staring through the window. She always felt giddy when traveling threw a relay and this time was no different, she loved the way the ship felt under her feet and the small rush of adrenaline that would push through her system as the relay grabbed them. It was just too much fun

As she came down from the momentary high she listened to Joker who started listing off the ships status report. As she listened she noticed that Nihlus was also on the bridge standing on that far from her as he also listened in on Joker’s report. Jane wasn't sure why Annie liked this guy so much because to her, he seemed kind of cool and unimpressed with pretty much everything anyone did. Not only that he seemed to refuse to really talk to anyone outside of herself, Anderson and Annie and the only one he seemed to actually like to talking to was Annie, which was no surprise. Jane didn’t know how Annie did it but she seemed to have a way to make everyone like her without trying.

As that thought crossed her mind, Jane chanced a look over at her sister who was sitting at one of the terminals looking over the information that was being fed back to them. Apparently Annie had the same idea because when Jane looked at her she was staring right back at her with a ridiculous smile plastered on her face. When they made eye contact Annie gave Jane a look she couldn’t quite read before winking and turning back to her work.

“1500 is good. Your Captain will be pleased.” Nihlus said, cutting into Jane’s thoughts. It was funny how he could seem to say something positive yet sound so uninterested at the same time. Apparently she wasn’t the only one because the moment the Spectre was out of earshot Joker spoke up.

“I hate that guy.” He said simply as if it was something he was used to saying.

Jane heard Annabeth chuckle as the Lieutenant, Kaidan Alenko, questioned him. “Nihlus gave you a compliment… so you hate him?” Jane couldn’t help but smile because even if the Spectre made her uneasy Alenko had a point. She heard Joker come back with some sarcastic reply but didn’t really hear it, instead she looked over at the Lieutenant with a small smirk on her lips which he returned shaking his head at the grouchy pilot. “Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don’t like having him on board. Call me paranoid.” Joker finished in a huff.

“You’re paranoid.” The Lieutenant replied as he started spouting the same BS official line that Anderson told them all before takeoff. Jane knew better then to believe what Anderson said but then again she knew the Captain better than anyone aboard so of course she knew that he was hiding something. It also helped that Annie seemed to agree with her.

“Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story.” Joker replied and Jane was happy to see that the pilot was someone who thought for themselves but then again it shouldn’t surprise her if the rumors about how he got the job on the Normandy were true.

“They don’t send Spectres on shakedown runs.” Jane said deciding that she would chip into the conversation. She was always one to speak her mind whether it was to her subordinates, equals or superiors; she felt that it was only right that people knew where she stood. She would voice her opinion but never let it affect a mission that is what a good Commander did.

“I agree that the official line is bullshit but I do like him. He is a nice guy once you get to know him.” Annie said also jumping into the conversation.

Joker scoffed as he looked over at her and Jane couldn’t help but agree. “Of course you like him. You’re the only one besides the Captain he willing to talk to.” The Lieutenant supplied as he made some minor adjustments from the co-pilot's chair.

Ignoring what the Alenko said about the Spectre and Annie’s strange relationship, Joker seemed focused on the conversation at hand. “See, even the Lieutenant-Commander and Commander agree. There’s more going on here then the Captain is letting on.” Joker replied at the same time the comm beeped letting him know that Anderson was trying to get a hold of him.

' _ Joker! Status Report. _ _ ' _ Anderson’s voice said over the speaker. Jane wasn’t sure but she thought that he sounded upset about something.

“Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid.” Joker replied getting into a more traditional pilots role.

' _ Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime _ .' Anderson ordered and Jane was definitely sure she was right about him being upset or at very least on edge.

Apparently Joker picked up on Anderson tone as well because the next words out of his mouth were a bit… sassy for someone to say to their Commanding Officer. “Aye, Aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way.” Joker said and Jane tried not to laugh. Joker was going to get kicked off the ship before the first mission was even over if he kept that up.

' _ He’s already here, Lieutenant _ .' Anderson replied exasperated. ' _ Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing. _ ' The moment he was done speaking Anderson closed the comm and Jane couldn’t help the feeling that something was wrong, not only was his voice on edge but he had called her  _ Commander _ Shepard instead of the normal Shepard. That wasn’t generally a good sign.

“You get that, Commander?” Joker asked clearly not sensing the uneasy feeling that she had just gotten from that brief conversation.

“He sounds angry. Something must have gone wrong with the mission.” Jane stated as she wracked her brain trying to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong already. They had only just left Earth and even though bad luck seemed to follow her and Annie like the plague it normally didn’t find them this quickly into an assignment.

“Pff. Captain always sounds like that when he’s talking with me.” Joker responded again emphasising that he didn’t know Anderson well enough to know what was going on.

“I can’t possibly imagine why.” The Lieutenant joked and Jane could see that he was apparently on the same boat as Joker.

To make sure she wasn’t going crazy Jane shared a quick look with Annie to see if she had gotten the same vibes Jane had; they both new Anderson to well enough not to have noticed that something sounded off and Jane was relieve that Annie looked back with the same concern. But like Jane, Annie didn’t seem to know what was going on either so she shrugged before turning back to her work leaving Jane no other option then to go investigate for herself.

As Jane made her way to the comm room she was stopped a few times because she had overheard some conversations that the crew were having and she could tell that they were a little on edge. First, she had to stop and talk with Navigator Pressly who seemed concerned that not only was there a Spectre on board but a  _ Turian _ nonetheless. Jane diffused the situation quickly and was able to calm the older man down.

Over the years Jane had gotten quite used to talking people down when it came to inter-species racism even though it bothered her every time she had to deal with it. She didn’t really understand how some people could be so big headed but when you’re a woman in a high ranking military position she was used to not taking things personally. Humans had made huge steps forward when it came to racism and sexism with in their own species but it was still there, lingering in the background.

After take a couple of minutes to calm the older man down, Jane was stopped when she heard a very enthusiastic Corporal Jenkins speaking with their resident Doctor, Karin Chakwas. The good Doctor was trying to calm down the young recruit who was apparently itching to see action and having the Spectre aboard wasn’t helping matters. Jane remembered when she first joined the Alliance how she too couldn’t wait to get moving but Jane could see that Jenkins was almost reckless in his want to get into action. Jane had to explain to the man that being enthusiastic wasn’t a bad thing but a soldier should never be looking for a fight. The young man seemed slightly embarrassed that he had to be reminded of that fact but he seemed undeterred saying something about if a Spectre was on board something was going to happen. Jane couldn’t fault his logic but she seriously hoped he was wrong.

Once she was sure the Doctor could handle situation, Jane continued on to the comm room hoping she hadn’t kept Anderson waiting too long; he knew that she was the type of Commander to address things as they came up so she was sure that he wouldn’t mind. If it had been urgent he would have had Annie meet with them too. However, when she entered the comm room she was surprised to find that it was completely empty except for Nihlus. Giving pause for a brief moment, Jane forced herself into the room; it wasn’t that Jane didn’t like the man she was just uncomfortable with him and she really hadn’t prepared herself to be alone with him. Even with the two weeks on Earth before shipping out the two had yet to have a conversation with just the two of them, normally either Anderson or Annie were their which helped break the tension but now… well she would just have to suck it up.

As she entered the room Nihlus turned to watch her make her way towards him and Jane couldn’t help but feel like he was studying her; she always felt like he was studying her and she had to wonder if that was a Spectre trait or just a Nihlus trait but she didn’t ask, she wasn’t really sure she wanted to know.

The moment that she reached him, Nihlus had apparently finished his studying and started asking her questions and she did her best to answer. The first question was asked about Eden Prime and Jane told him what she knew but having never been there before, she was of little use. He nodded his head at her answer as he started to pace back and forth for a moment before stopping and staring her full in the eyes and asked her if Humanity knew what they were getting into. Jane wasn’t really sure what he was implying but it did put her on edge and before she could question him further Anderson showed up.

The moment Anderson walked into the room he started the debrief and Jane wasn’t at all shocked to find out that there was indeed more to the mission then met the eye. They were heading to Eden Prime to pick up a Prothean Beacon that was to be delivered to the Citadel. It all made sense now as to why Nihlus was there, they needed someone to secure that everything went smoothly but when Nihlus told her that he was going to take her on as a Spectre candidate she was shocked to say the least. She could see it in Anderson’s eyes that he was proud that she had been chosen for the honor but Jane couldn’t help think that Annie should be as well.

Annie was overall the better soldier and was better at pretty much everything except tech, sharp shooting and being an XO. She was much better at stealth, hand to hand, tactics, spying, and getting information out of people, the only reason that Jane was even ahead of Annie in rank is because Annie liked being under Jane’s command. She was just about to voice this when Joker’s voice came in over the comm link killing all thoughts about Spectre candidacy when he informed them that Eden Prime was under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so we are not in cannon. I plan on sticking to cannon over all but somethings are going to be added and somethings are going to taken away. I hope you all like what you have read so far and don't worry there is still going to be chapters that have nothing to do with cannon and are there just too add to the characters.
> 
> Again, I want to mention that I don't have anyone reading this over before I post so if you see anything that doesn't line up or make sense feel free to comment and let me know. :)


	15. Chapter 15 (Kaidan)

The moment the call came out, both Kaidan and the Lieutenant-Commander made their way down to the cargo bay to start readying their gear. The elevator ride down was painfully slow and with the Corporal’s excited bouncing it was almost enough for Kaidan to put the damn guy in a stasis field until the doors opened but thought that a bit of overkill. The kid was green and had yet to see combat and Kaidan was a bundle of nerves, he knew enough to know that whatever was happening wasn’t good. He hadn’t been on the bridge when the call came in but he could tell that Jackson was tense and mentally preparing herself for a fight which only confirmed his suspicion that something was wrong.

The trio quickly exited the elevator and moved to their respective lockers to suit up for the mission and Kaidan had to admit that he was impressed with Jackson’s equipment. It was rare that a biotic wore anything more than light armor but it seemed Jackson preferred medium armor that Kaidan could tell was heavily modified. What was even more impressive were her weapons, her pistol looked like nothing he had ever seen before; it was so heavily modified that he wasn’t even sure he could guess at the model and her shotgun was just as modified but at least he could tell that it was a Kassa Fabrication – Armageddon model. The rest of what she carried was less modified and what a standard Marine would carry, giving Kaidan a very good idea of the Lieutenant-Commander’s fighting style.

Shortly after the Commander made her way down already fully dressed and ready to go, all she needed were the weapons which Jackson already had prepped for her. Even if he hadn’t already known that the two had been fighting alongside one another for a long time he would have been able to figure it out right then and there with how the two interacted. The Commander accepted the weapons handed to her and barely even looked them over before placing then in their respective holsters. The trust that was shown in just that act alone was telling and Kaidan had to wonder just how close the two were.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Kaidan readied his own weapons wonder how he would fit into Shepard’s command style on the field. After doing his research back on Earth about his two commanding officers and now seeing for himself that the reports were true, the two really didn’t seem to need a team. Jackson had short range covered while Shepard had the long range dealt with which would leave Kaidan and Jenkins to cover the middle ground; this would seem to work since both men seemed to favour assault rifles if Kaidan was reading the situation correctly.

As he was readying his weapons Kaidan noticed that Shepard had pulled Jackson aside and they seemed to be having a bit of a heated discussion. Kaidan couldn’t tell what was being said but he could tell that Shepard was upset about something and Jackson seemed to be trying to calm her down. The thought that the Commander was upset made Kaidan even more nervous, how could she lead a team if she was emotionally not there but it seemed that he wouldn’t have to worry about it because as he watched the two women talk he could see the tension leaving the Commander’s body. Apparently whatever Jackson was saying was getting through to Shepard because she eventually nodded her head and the two women came to join him and Jenkins by the weapons bench.

Even after reading all the reports and hearing about the Blitz, Kaidan could help think that these two superior officers were strange choice to be on this crew. Not that Kaidan had a problem serving under women but the fact that they were both N7 and on the same team was odd. Everyone knew that you had to be the best of the best to even be invited into the N-program let alone to make it all the way through and to have them both on one ship was strange. Normally the Alliance would space out their Special Ops operatives so as to have a better spread of resources across Alliance space but the fact that they were still together spoke volumes of the bond they had. It also made sense that 90% of their cases were classified but one thing was for sure, he would be seeing a lot of action if he were to stay on this ship. It was well known throughout the Alliance that if Shepard and Jackson showed up it generally meant that shit was about to go down.

Once the team was ready to go and Jackson had finished going over Jenkins weapons Anderson came up to them to give them a quick rundown of the situation. They didn’t know much about what was happening planetside but from what Anderson said, the beacon was the objective, survivors were not. Kaidan didn’t like it but he was an Alliance soldier and if the Alliance wanted that beacon then the Alliance would get that beacon.

Anderson had just finished going over everything when the Turian Spectre exited the elevator and headed to the already open cargo ramp. “Nihlus? You’re coming with us?” Jenkins asked hopefully and Kaidan had to admit that the kid had some balls. Even he wouldn’t have called the Spectre by name, mostly because he scared the crap out of him.

“I move faster on my own.” He replied nonchalantly before he turned to leave. Just before he dropped, Nihlus turned back and gave the Lieutenant-Commander what looked like the Turian version of a grin. Kaidan wasn’t really familiar with Turian facial expressions but from the smirk that he saw on the Lieutenant-Commander’s face he assumed that it must have been some sort of smile.

Less than 5 minutes later the group of four made the jump from the cargo bay ramp down on to the planet’s surface and Kaidan found himself waiting for orders.

“Jackson! On point, Jenkins! On her eight, Alenko! On her two and I’ll pull up the rear. Understood?” The Commander ordered.

Kaidan was shocked that Jackson would be taking point over the Commander even though it made sense from a fighting style point of view; normally the Commanding officer was in front. Not that he had a problem with it; it was just a different fighting style then what he was used to.

Quickly everyone nodded in agreement and fell in position while they started to push forward towards the colony. The team had only made it a few hundred feet when Kaidan noticed some sort of ugly creature and was quick to point it out. Jenkins reassured them all that they had nothing to worry about telling them that the creatures called ‘gas bags’ were absolutely harmless. The other three took his word for it since he had grown up on the colony and wouldn’t be dumb enough to purposely lead them into danger.

As they push forward the group came across some bodies of what looked to be charred humans but they didn’t really look to be fully human anymore which didn’t make any sense; they looked like they had been changed into something alien.

Guns drawn the group continued on towards their objective were they found themselves at the top of a ridge which lead into a small valley and Kaidan could see that it was a good place for a trap. Apparently seeing the same, Jackson signaled for them to hold as both she and the Commander looked over the area. With a quick nod and a signal to Jenkins, both the Jackson and Jenkins moved to the other side of the path and just as Jackson was about to make it to cover all hell broke loose.

Shots rang out as several drones flew into the air approximately 50 meters ahead of them as Kaidan and Shepard made for their own cover. Jackson reacted quickly throwing up a biotic shield around herself as she made it the rest of the way to cover but the shield didn’t push out far enough leaving Jenkins exposed which the drones took advantage of as they shot down the Corporal.

' _Fuck! Fuck you assholes!_ ' Came Jackson’s voice over the comms as more shots rang out.

Training quickly took over and Kaidan found himself watching as the Commander signaled to him. The Commander had set up a pattern, timing his attaches with the Commander to take down the shields of the machines while Jackson would place a well-aimed shot that would take the machines down. It was only a matter of seconds before the machines were just piles of smoke and everything was quiet again.

“Jenkins!” The Lieutenant-Commander voice cut through the calm as she ran to the kid’s side. As Kaidan made his way closer two the two, he could tell that Jenkins was gone. A pang of lose ran through him as he looked down at the young soldier who had barely started to live his life and wished that he could rewind time. Even though the Commander was in charge of this mission the kid was still under Kaidan’s command and in his eyes, he was responsible for him.

Kaidan knelt down to check Jenkins pulse manually, more to cement it in his mind that the kid was gone then not believing what the man’s hard suit was telling them. He felt Jenkins neck and true to what the hard suit told them, he was gone. “Damn it!” Came the Commander’s voice from somewhere above him and even Kaidan could hear the regret in her voice. “We can’t stay here. We will come get him once the mission is over.” She ordered as Kaidan stood back up watching as Jackson closed the kids eyes.

The Lieutenant-Commander nodded her head but gave no other reply as she made to stand grabbing her pistol as she rose. It’s then that he realizes that the Lieutenant-Commander’s been using her pistol during the enter fight, he couldn’t believe it. He had thought that she was using the rifle that was strapped to her back the way she had brought down the drones but no; she must have been using her pistol because her rifle didn’t even look like it hand be snapped open yet.

As the trio moved out Kaidan tried to keep him mind off the Corporal that they were now leaving behind so he decided to ask the question that was dying to burst out. “You took those things out with a pistol?”

He heard both women chuckle as she replied, “Yes I did, Alenko. Yes. I. Did.” He was flabbergasted, of course everyone in the military learned to use a pistol, it was the one weapon that everyone had to learn but for it to be her main gun of choice in that situation was astonishing.

The Commander apparently sensing his amazement continued to chuckle. “The pistol is her go to weapon, then her shotgun and after that any heavy weapons she could get her hands on but her pistol is always number one.” Shepard said as they continued to slowly make their way forward. Jackson was still in the lead with Kaidan on her two and the Commander on their six.

“What can I say, I like my pistol.” Jackson replied as if it was no big deal. Now that he could see it better it was no wonder it took out the drones so well, it probably was almost as powerful as the Commander’s sniper rifle with some of the mods it had on it.

“I have never seen that kind before. What is it?” Kaidan pressed, now curious as to how the weapon came to be.

“Oh, well it’s a Stiletto mixed with bit of a Brawler and Harpy with a shit tone modifications, I don’t think it could be considered any of those models anymore.” She stated as she scanned the horizon for incoming threats.

They were just making their way out of the valley and found themselves some cover before the Commander turned and looked at him. “She got that pistol when she turned 15. I don’t think there is even a brand that could even come close to matching that pistol for firepower, balance and aim. It doesn’t have a name.” She said as she grabbed her canteen to take a quick drink of water and indicating for him to do the same.

“It so to has a name, it’s clearly an Annabethonater 2.0. Duh.” The Lieutenant-Commander said looking at the Commander with the most serious look on her face that it took Kaidan a moment to realize she was joking.

“Oh I’m sorry, because that is so clearly the name, how could I possibly not known?” The Commander responded in mock apology and rolled her eyes. Kaidan couldn’t believe it. These two were making jokes; his Commanding officers were making jokes out on the field not five minutes after they had lost one of their own and they were acting as if it didn’t happen.

“It’s better than thinking about it.” Jackson said, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. Apparently, he had been wearing his disapproval on his face.

“What was that Lieutenant-Commander?” he asked trying to play it off and not read too much into the situation.

“The joking, it’s better that we joke and keep moving then to sit and dwell on what we cannot change. Jenkins is gone and we can mourn him properly once the mission is over but until then we have to push forward.” She said kindly and Kaidan could see that this was just their way of coping. After taking a moment to collect himself, Kaidan squared his shoulders and nodded to her, letting both women know he had his head on straight. Jackson nodded back before meeting his eyes once more. “And stop with the Lieutenant-Commander and Commander bullshit. Just call us Jackson and Shepard.” She said as she rose to scope out the area.

“Looks clear but those things can fly so who knows.” Jackson informed them.

Kaidan nodded in conformation and waited to Shepard to make the call. “Okay. Let’s move.” Shepard ordered after giving Kaidan scrutinizing look and he could tell that she was making sure that what Jackson had said sunk in before they went any farther.

As they moved on the trio came across a few more of drones but they were dispatched just as fast as the first few and Kaidan was slowly starting to see why the two women were considered the best ground team in the Alliance. They moved and attacked without so much as a glance at each other as if they were of one mind; they just knew what the other needed and when, it was amazing to witness. The only time they ever gave any sort of direction was so he knew what they wanted and that made him feel very much out of his depth.

They continued to move along the path towards the dig site and every now and then they would receive communications from the Spectre telling them what to expect ahead. Kaidan could tell that both women were not a fan that the Spectre was off on his own but neither one commented on it knowing that it would not change anything even if they were to say something.

Pushing forward the group came over another ridge and what they saw had Kaidan’s blood run cold. A soldier in white armor was running full tilt in their direction while being chased by what Kaidan thought were some type of new security mechs who were firing on her. The three started towards the new comer as fast as they could but when Kaidan saw her trip he was sure she was a goner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so Kaidan is hard to write... I have read a few fics and like some of the ideas that others have for him but when it comes down to it I feel that people are to hard on Kaidan. I feel that Kaidan's character suffers due to the vast amount of time the writers spent on the other species so I thought I would expand on him but man... he is so damn hard to write!


	16. Chapter 16 (Ashley)

“Get down!” Ashley yelled as she pulled Thomson back into cover. The man was going to get himself killed as he tried to film what was happening and for what? They were supposed to be the only Alliance personal in the area until the pickup team came for the Prothean tech and they were given no information on when that would be so who was the distress call supposed to reach? Not that I mattered, right now she had more important things to worry about.

Once she was sure Thomson was covered Ash focused back on shooting at the metal bastards; Ash was fairly positive that the things were Geth but having never seen one before she couldn’t be too sure. The enemy had seemingly come out of nowhere and with Bhatia down and communications cut, Ash was now in charge of this group of the 212. Ash was shouting orders that the others tried to follow but for many of them this was their first experience dealing with actual combat that wasn’t training and it showed. She had already lost two people because of their careless use of cover and now she was trying to prevent even more by yelling at everyone to maintain cover.

Taking a peek out of cover, Ash could see an overwhelming amount of enemies and was about to order a full retreat when an enormous ship started to descend from the clouds. The group of Marines all stood frozen in shock and horror as the thing reached the surface of the planet letting loose a terrible, ear piercing sound. Ash hit the ground as she tried to cover her ears but it didn’t help lessen the pain but as sudden as it started, it stopped. Quickly looking around, Ash grabbed her assault rifle and tried to get her bearings and when she did she wanted to scream in frustration and anger. The rest of her team was being gunned down as they were trying to scrabble for cover after that horrific shriek rattled their minds.

“Fall back!” Ash yelled to a couple of the soldiers who had made it to cover. “Fall back! We need to get some distance between us and them!”

Two of the soldiers nodded and started to fall back when Phoenix, one of the newest privets, yelled back at her. “We can’t fall back!” He replied incredulously, glaring at her as if she were scum. “You may be a coward just like the rest of your family but I ain’t running!”

If she hadn’t gotten used to it over the years, Ash may have been offended by the comment but he wasn’t the first and probably wouldn’t be the last to say something along those lines and Ash refused to let it stop her from doing her job. “Fall back, Privet. If we stay here we are all dead and we have no idea what is going on. Our objective is to protect the Prothean shit the scientist dug up and we can’t do that if we don’t know where the rest of our people are.” She yelled back as she took out to of the Geth that were trying to sneak up on them.

It seemed that Phoenix was going to argue but apparently thought better of it before nodding and starting to fall back. Out of the ten soldiers that were stationed at this location only four were making it out. As they retreated, Ash sent up a quick prayer for her fallen brothers and sisters she was leaving behind as well as one for the ones she still had. This was going to be a long fight and they would need all the help they could get.

\--

Hatton and Iverson fell not long after the team made it back to the main barracks where they found the rest of the 212 already gone. From what Ash could tell they had been hit hard, fast and completely unprepared. The only why it could have happened was a surprise attach and after fight through the countless Geth, Ash knew that the people at camp would have had no chance. The Geth seemed to be able to move without making a sound when not engaged in combat and it was an eerie sight to see the camp completely destroyed.

As they had moved in to collect more ammo and weapons, a second wave of enemies made their way into the encampment taking down the two rookies leaving just Ash and Phoenix to continue on with their mission. The two made their way to the dig site as fast as they could but they were being followed. Ash ran as fast as she could to the nearest cover to set up suppressing fire for Phoenix who in turn ran to further ahead to do the same for her; it was a slow process but it was working until Phoenix lost his footing. He cried out as he fell and Ash could hear the sickening crack of his leg breaking. Thankfully he had fallen behind cover so Ash got up and sprinted back for him.

“Phoenix, where’s your medi-gel!?” She demanded as she slid to a stop beside him, firing off a few more shots to give the pair some breathing room.

“All out, ma’am.” He wheezed and it was then that Ash noticed the bullet holes in his armor. He had been shot and by the looks of it multiple times.

“Damn it, Phoenix, why didn’t you tell me!?” She was furious. The man was wearing dark red armor so it was impossible to see just how much blood he had lost but from the looks of it, it was a lot.

Ash was rooting around in her own suit for her last medi-gel pack when she heard the Private chuckle. “Because you would have made us stop, ma’am.” Ash stopped in her search and looked down at the man. He was looking back up at her and she could see the resolve in his eyes. “Make them pay, ma’am.” He said as he gave her a small push, “I’ll cover you.”

No! She wanted to yell but she could tell that it would do no good. He was a dead man either way with the amount of blood loss plus the broken leg there was no way she could save him from his wounds and if she stayed with him she was as good as dead too. “Make me proud, Privet.” She replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. She could see the understanding in his eyes as he nodded and gave her one last smile before she turned and fled.

\--

As she ran all Ash could think about was how she left Phoenix to die. She knew that it had been the only option but she still wanted to scream and cry and throw things but she knew that if she stopped for even a second she would be overwhelmed by her pursuers and she wasn’t about to let that happen. No, she would make them pay for what they did to her team. She continued to run and was very aware of the drones that were following just behind her but she continued to pour on the speed. One of them got in a lucky shot and hit her shields causing her to trip. As she fell she grabbed her pistol and shot the two drones down with practiced easy but when she looked past her fallen enemies she was not prepared for the horror that awaited her.

Two Geth units grabbed a civilian that must have been hiding nearby and laid him back on some sort of post thing. Without warning, a huge spike came out screwing the man, lifting high into the air and it took all of her mental focus not to hurl at the sight; Ash couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She felt like she was stuck in place until one of the Geth start to turn in her direction; she unfroze and sprinted to the closes cover she could find praying that she would make it out of this alive to tell Phoenix’s family and the rest of the 212’s families about their heroism.

Ash switched out her pistol for her trusted assault rifle; the Banshee model wasn’t the best model of gun out there but after today she would have to say it was by and large the best gun she had ever had. She could hear the Geth getting closer and closer, steeling herself to pop out of cover to blast the bastards back from whence they came when all of a sudden there was the sound of electrical sparks fusing and guns shooting from the wrong direction. Looking up from her cover she saw three soldiers running towards her as a wave of relief rushed over her.  _ Thank the Lord _ , Ash found herself thinking as she joined the reinforcements in taking down the last of the Geth that had been following her. It didn’t take long for the Geth to fall and once the last one was down she turned to see just who her savers were.

The moment she saw the Alliance insignias she quickly recognised that all three were superiors so she quickly gave a salute and introduced herself. “Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. You the one in charge here, ma’am?” Ash said as she turned to the woman holding the sniper rifle.

Ash did a quick mental rundown of the group before her and could easily tell the rundown of the group. The woman in front of her with the dark red, medium armor with a white and dark blue strip down her right arm was the commander of this unit and an N7 to boot. The man to her right in black, light armor was some sort of biotic since she had seen him running onto the field glowing with a periwinkle glow about him. He seemed to be the lowest rank of the group as he stood back a bit from the other two women as he continued to scan the area for enemies. Lastly the other woman with matt black, medium armor that also had a strip running down the right side but instead of blue it was a dark green. Ash immediately recognised that she was in much better company since not only was there one N7 operative but two.

“Are you wounded, Williams?” The woman in red asked surprising Ash out of her mental assessment. Most commanding officers would have first got the sit. Rep. before asking about the condition of the man and this caused Ash instantly liked her.

“A few scraps and burns, nothing serious; the others weren’t so lucky.” Ash informed the woman hearing a slight shake in her voice and hating it. She knew that none of the soldiers in front of her would judge her for being upset about what had happened but she still had a mission to do. That had to come first so Ash gave the team a quick rundown of what happened so far, skipping the part about leaving Phoenix behind to save herself. She knew that his head would stick with her for the rest of her life. When she got to the part about her squad the woman in black surprised her by stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder while the woman in charge tried to comfort her.

“This isn’t your fault, Williams. You couldn’t have done anything to save them.”

Ash knew that the woman was right about most of the crew but not about Phoenix, Phoenix she left to die and there was nothing she could do but keep her promise and take down as many Geth as possible. As quick as she could she finished giving her report of what had happened so far when the man stepped forward and asked why the Geth would be here on Eden Prime and the only thing Ash could think of was the beacon. Ash answered all the questions that the trio asked and when they seemed to be done the woman in red asked Ash if she was fit to join them. She agreed immediately and after a quick round of introductions Ash fell in line at Jackson’s eight.

It was a strange formation having Shepard behind them while Jackson took lead but with both being N7 it wasn’t like it really mattered. Even though Ash and spent most of her time in the military ground side even she had heard about the two N7’s and was happy to have them here now.

As they moved forward towards the dig site something seemed to be nagging at Jackson and they had only made it about ten feet before she asked the question that must have been bothering her. “Have you seen a Turian Spectre around here?” Ash was a bit taken aback at the question, a Turian on Eden Prime? Why?

It took a moment for her to realise that Jackson was still waiting on an answer and if Ash was reading her posture right the woman seemed worry? She couldn’t tell if Jackson was asking as a soldier looking for more firepower or maybe as the Turian’s friend but it didn’t matter what the answer was, Ash hadn’t seen anyone but Geth. “There aren’t any Turians on Eden Prime, none that I’ve ever met; not sure I’d be able to tell if one was a Spectre, anyway.” She replied and she could see that her answer didn’t help Jackson’s posture.

“If you saw this guy, you’d know; carries enough firepower to wipe out a whole platoon. Luckily, he’s on our side.” Alenko chimed in as they continued to push forward.

“Sorry, like I said, no Turians.” Ash said again trying to wrap her mind around the fact that there was a Turian on world who seemed to be carrying a shit load of weapons that the 212 was not warned about. Not that they would have open fire on him if he showed up with the Alliance but a heads up would have been nice.

Slowly, the four made their way down the trench towards the dig site and as they got closer more Geth were found; they entered battle quickly and Ash soon found herself in awe of how Shepard and Jackson moved with each other; it was like a dance the way the moved almost as if they could read each other’s minds. It wasn’t until they had taken out the first couple of Geth that Ash noticed they only gave signals when they wanted either her or Alenko to do something that they couldn’t. As the fight went on so did the show and Ash could only think that these two must have been in hundreds of ground assaults with each other to be able to work so well together.

The closer they got to the dig site the more Geth there seemed to be which wasn’t a surprise since that was more than likely what the Geth were there for but it was then that Ash finally started to get a feel for how the others were fighting. As they fought Ash noticed that Shepard and Alenko were timing their shots just right as to keep the Geth’s shields from coming back up giving her and Jackson a clear shot to take them down and with that rhythm going it only took a few minutes before the dig site was clear of all hostiles.

“This is the dig site. The beacon was right here, it must have been moved.” Ash told the group as she looked around for any signs of the beacon. A small part of her hoped that she would also find someone, anyone still alive from her unit but all she saw was the dead bodies of the Geth they had just killed.

“By who? Our side? Or the Geth?” Alenko asked drawing her out of her search.

Ash did another quick sweep of the area before she responded. “Hard to say,” she shrugged as she brought her rifle back up. In her momentary search for friends she almost forgot that they were in an active war zone. “Maybe we’ll know more after we check out the research camp.”

“You think anyone got out alive?” Jackson asked as she too continued to can for enemies.

“If they were lucky, they may be hiding up in the camp.” Ash said and she hoped that she is right, there had been too much death already today and she didn’t want to add civilian scientists to the numbers. “It’s just up on the top of this ridge, up the ramps.” She pointed and Shepard followed with her gaze. Ash couldn’t read it but she definitely got the feeling that was not the answer she was looking for.

“Well, I guess we follow the yellow brick road.” Jackson sighed as she started to make her way forward. The comment caught the rest of them by surprise as Shepard and Alenko chuckled and Ash gave her a confused look. Ash new the reference, there weren’t many even in this day and age that didn’t know the Wizard of Oz but she was confused as to the timing of it. As she racked her brain trying to understand why the woman used the reference, said woman turned and gave her a quick wink before falling into formation.  _ She is trying to light the mood, _ Ash thought as she smiled back at the woman. Clearly Jackson knew what she was doing since the air seemed a bit lighter than it was before.

As they start to climb Ash heard someone come in over the comm and she could hear the duel tones of the person so she took a guess and assumed it was the Spectre they had been talking about earlier. The Spectre informed them that he was moving forward without them and would meet them a little farther ahead after Shepard filled him in about the beacon. Ash didn’t like the idea of the Spectre wandering around alone, not that she thought that he was going to do something bad but more to the point that someone might accidentally shoot him thinking he was a part of the attack. Eden Prime wasn’t known for getting its alien visitors and she wouldn’t be surprised if someone thought that a Turian was attacking a Human colony. It may have been 26 years since First Contact but that didn’t mean much to some.

The group made their way into the camp and Ash could see the signs of battle, smoke was rising into the air along with the smell of blood and other things that she didn’t want to think about. Guns drawn and ready, the four pushed forward until they saw more of the spikes that they had seen earlier but instead of people there were some kind of human like figures on top of them. As they approached a screeching sound emitted from the centre spick and as quick as wink it lowered and they could see the arms and legs of the humanoid thing start to move.

“Oh, God! They’re still alive!” Alenko shouted in disgust and horror as the husk like thing started to stand.

“What did the Geth do to them?” Ash yelled back as she took a step back. Even if they knew that the thing used to be human all four soldiers could tell that these things were definitely not human any longer.

One of the husks started running toward the group in an eerie zombie like manor and before she knew it Shepard brought up her gun and shot the thing between the eyes. The Husk fell as it emitted some sort of electric shock that would have done some serious damage if any of them had been any closer to it. Without warning the other spikes lowered dropping three more of the husks onto the field and as they charged, Ash heard Jackson yell at Alenko to ready a throw. The first husk went down far enough away that the electric shock it let go did no damage but the others were almost on top of Ash when all of a sudden, they were picked up off the ground and thrown 15 feet back were the detonated safely.

“You alright, Williams?” Jackson asked, as she slapped Ash on the back.

“Yeah. Thanks for that.” She smiled as Jackson moved farther into the camp. Ash took a deep calming breath before following the others, she didn’t want to admit it but she couldn’t help think that she may have just helped kill someone who was once a friend. She knew, logically, that those things were no longer human but the emotional side was trying to fight it’s way to the forefront of her mind; it had been a long day already and she knew that it was nowhere close to being over yet. Signing and promising herself she would grieve later she followed the rest of the team into the heart of the camp.

As they were swept the area they came across one of the prefabs with its locks engaged which was strange since this prefab was the only one that had to be looked from the inside since it was a sleeping pod. When Ash drew attention to this Shepard walked over and started to hack the lock; it only took a minute and Ash couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous, give her a gun and combat she was good, give her a smile door to hack and she would be there for the next year.

When the door opened, Shepard ordered Alenko to guard the door. When they stepped inside Ash was happy to see that they had found Dr. Warren and her assistant both inside and alive. Ash could not have been happier to see more survivors and it gave her hope that maybe more civilians had been spared but she forced herself to focus; she would be no good to the team if she kept losing herself if that train of thought.

Shepard and Jackson took turns asking the Doctor questions, some were about the beacon others the attack and one about the Turian Spectre which Ash was starting to get a feeling that Jackson wanted an answer to more for personal reasons than professional. The Doctor told them what she knew but the whole time they were talking the Doctor’s assistant was acting strangely; saying something along the lines of the Turian being the profit and that humanity was near its extinction, it made no sense to Ash but she didn’t say anything. It’s not like it would have done any good to rattle the man up even more. The good Doctor assured the group that the man just had a mental break due to the stress of what was happening and that she would be fine taking care him.

After the talk with the Doctor, Shepard had them from ranks again and slowly started to make their way to the transit station where they were supposed to finally find the beacon along with the illusive Spectre. That was the plan anyway until more Geth started to attack them; it didn’t take long to clear the last wave of Geth and as they continued forward they heard a loud noise that seemed to come out of nowhere until Alenko pointed out the ginormous structure in the distance as it started to rise into the sky. It was a massive ship, at least two kilometers high and was lifting out of Eden Prime’s atmosphere; as Ash looked at her she was confused as to what the ship leaving could possibly mean.  _ Was the attack over? Was the Alliance on the way? What was happening?  _ She wondered as they continued to push towards their destination with a bit more urgency.

Moments after the ship left the ground the team was swarmed by more Geth and husks which surprised Ash a bit, she had assumed that the Geth would have been retreating not continuing to engage them in conflict; but Ash never said she was an expert on synthetics so she really had nothing to base that assumption on but she continued nonetheless. The group of four were starting to work pretty good together as a team; Ash and Alenko were starting to see when and where their skills were needed with very little prompting from the other two officers and things were starting to fall into a practiced ease.

Once the fight was over, they found another group of civilians in one of the prefabs near the transport station. Shepard and Jackson again took the lead in questioning them while Alenko and she watched for enemies. From what Ash could hear they seemed to have confirmed what the doctor had told them and what she herself had experience which was a slight relief but it also meant that everywhere had probably been hit just as hard.

When Shepard and Jackson were done with their questions and were about to leave one of the civilians piped up telling the group of the small smuggling operation that had been going on. The lead man, Cole, handed over a pistol that he had smuggled off the dock and handed it to Jackson; she took a quick look at it before handing it to Ash telling her it would be better than the one she already had and Ash didn’t even think to question it. As they had been fighting she had noticed that Jackson seemed to fight solely with a pistol and assumed the woman must know her pistols if that was her fighting style.

Before the group left, Jackson was somehow able to convince Cole to give them the name for the contact at the spaceport; the man’s name was Powell and Ash couldn’t wait to meet him, the fact that they had smuggled a weapon was enough to make her wonder what else they had stolen from their military supplies.

The team fell into to position and continued down the hill to the transit station and Ash couldn’t help notice just how quiet it was; it put her on edge and seemed to do the same for the others because Shepard ordered Ash and Alenko to keep an eye out while she and Jackson moved up the stairs. Ash scanned the area with her sniper rifle while Alenko scanned in close; Ash didn’t like the feeling she was getting so when she hear the quick intake of breath over the come Ash moved as fast as she could towards her commanding officers. When she got to the top of the stairs she didn’t know what to expect but what she found was worse than anything she could have thought of; lying on the ground in front of them was a Turian in black and read armor that Ash could only guess was the Spectre that they had been trying to reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I found it a bit easier to write Ash and I'm not quite sure why. I hope that keeps up because if I have to keep writing hard characters this will be a long road.


	17. Chapter 17 (Annabeth)

Annabeth couldn’t help the gasp that had escaped her mouth when she saw Nihlus lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.  _ No! No, no, no, no, no! _ She thought as she raced forward as fast as she could. This was not how this mission was supposed to go, he was a Spectre! He wasn’t supposed to just die, not after she had started to… no… it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Annabeth could feel the others eyes on her and could tell that they were talking but all she heard was a buzzing sound as she felt like her world shifted off kilter. She had only known the mad a couple of weeks but she had really started to like him and if she actually examined her feelings she would probably would have found they ran deeper than that but she didn’t want to, especially not now.

Annabeth knew that no one else could really stand the man, but she had a way with people that allowed her to get to know them. It also didn’t help that Nihlus refused to let the crew in because he found it entertaining that he could put the Human’s into such an uneasy state; he had once told her that even though he wasn’t a ‘people person’ he found it amusing that the Human’s shied away from him since he was seen as approachable by almost every other person he had ever met. Annabeth had laughed at that because she agreed, he was approachable. He may not have liked big crowds or anything but he was easy to talk to once you got threw a few barriers.

Making her mind shift from seeing Nihlus into seeing just any other body she studied him. Something wasn’t right, from what she could tell he had been shot from behind and Annabeth knew the Spectre too well to believe that someone had snuck up on him, no this was either the work of a sniper or someone he trusted and with the exit wound being as it was the latter seemed more likely than the former.

“He was shot execution style.” Annabeth informed Jane as she stood to look at her sister. “Would Geth do that?” She asked already knowing the answer but hoping she was wrong. She hoped that Nihlus wasn’t killed by someone he trusted because that would be too cruel since the man didn’t trust easily.

“Something’s moving! Over behind those crates!” William’s yelled from somewhere to the right as all four marines drew their weapons.

“Wait! Don’t… Don’t shoot! I’m one of you! I’m human.” A very frightened man shouted back as he raised his hands over his head. All four team members lowered their weapons from the man while Annabeth gave Alenko a short nod indicating that he should continue to scout the area for threats.

“Sneaking up on us like that nearly got you killed!” Jane scolded the man in the meantime. It had been a stupid move on the man’s part but he was also a scared civilian, she couldn’t be to mad at him since he probably didn’t know any better. It was the same move that had gotten her captured by the Batarians all those years ago.

“I… I’m sorry. I was hiding from those creatures.” He replied, clearly terrified and Annabeth couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. Civilians were always hard to talk to when they were like this but she hoped that he would be help in figuring out what had happened. “My name’s Powell. I saw what happened to that Turian, the other one shot him.”

Annabeth’s eyes grew wide at the news as she snapped her head back to the body of her dead Spectre. Another Turian shot him in the back of the head? No, she knew enough about Turian culture to know that didn’t make sense, if a Turian was going to kill you he wanted to at very least give you the honor of seeing it coming.

Apparently taking Annabeth’s stunned silence a que, Jane started to question the man; first on what happened to Nihlus then the attack. The man explained that there was another Turian called Saren on world and he was the one to shot Nihlus from behind saying that Nihlus had completely dropped his guard. Annabeth paused on that for a few moments, another Turian shot Nihlus.  _ How? Why? And why did that name ring a bell? _

Annabeth was zoned out of the conversion happening in front of her as she tried to wrap her mind around everything that had been said. She still couldn’t believe that Nihlus would be taken out by someone so easily and she knew that whoever this Saren person was must have been really close with him and that made Annabeth’s blood boil. If it was true, Annabeth was going to make him pay.

Forcing herself to push those feelings aside and focus back into the moment she listened as the man explained how he had survived the initial attack and she had to force herself not to strangle the guy when he said he was taking a nap. Annabeth always hated when people didn’t do their jobs properly because it always meant that someone else had to pick up the slack and not get the just reward for doing so. The man was freely giving any and all information he had but when Jane mentioned the smuggling ring Powell shut down. After several minutes of smooth talking Annabeth got him to admit that yes, he ran a small smuggling ring and when he mentioned taking some of the military supplies Williams got angry causing Annabeth to have to step between the Marine and man to make sure she didn’t knock him out. She seemed to settle with calling him a son of a bitch before cooling down enough to return to watching their backs and Annabeth had to hide the smile that wanted to stretch across her face; she was going to get along quite well with this new addition to the team, they were too much alike not to.

Once they were done getting all the information they could from Powell the group moved to the transit line to see if they could find the missing beacon; even with Nihlus dead they still had a mission to complete and Annabeth could put off her grieving until then.

On their way, they took out several more Geth before hopping on the line to hopefully find the beacon waiting for them. There were more Geth along the way but the team of four dealt with them quickly now that they had been fighting with each other for a bit. Annabeth had to admit that she was impressed with both of their new team members; both Alenko and Williams seemed to pick up quickly on what Annabeth and Jane were doing and made it so that they could focus more on the fight then commanding the others on what to do which was nice. It normally took several missions before people fell in like this and she had to admit that it was nice for a change.

The transit made its way to the end of the line and when the group disembarked onto the platform they came face to face with a massive bomb. “Well, Fuck!” Annabeth said as Jane moved in to disarm it. Annabeth couldn’t help but be glad it wasn’t her; she was deplorable at with anything technology wise and it would have taken her twice as long if not more to disarm the thing.

While Jane worked, the other three moved into position to cover her and within a minute she had it disabled and the group was off and moving. Jane had found the frequency that the bomb had been running on and to Annabeth’s horror there were three more bombs. The sisters share a quick glance at one another before Jane ordered the team to split up and look for the other explosives. Annabeth and Williams crossed over the nearest bridge to the other side of the station were the signal for one of the bombs was coming from while Jane and Alenko moved to the far end.

Soon both teams were engaged in combat in more combat but even with all the gunfire Annabeth was able to spot the second bomb. The two women moved quickly to the location while taking down as many of the Geth as they could and once they reached it Williams moved into position to prove covering fire while Annabeth negotiated with the bombs wiring. When she is about halfway through disarming the thing, Jane radioed a confirmation on the third bomb and all Annabeth could do was hope that she was moving fast enough.

Once Annabeth was sure the bomb is disarmed she and Williams moved forward to try and find the fourth and last bomb. It was positioned halfway between their location and Jane’s so Annabeth wasn’t surprised when she nearly tripped over it while trying to find some cover. The moment she found it she alerted the rest of the team as she again started to disarm the bomb. It was only moments later when radioed that they were on their way and the moment they showed up Jane took Annabeth’s spot while Annabeth moved to help take down the remaining Geth.

Once the last bomb was disarmed the two teams split back up to do one final sweep of the area before moving on just to make sure that they hadn’t missed anything. When they met back up they again formed ranks and moved down the ramp towards the docking area. As they descend, more Geth and husks start attacking them and it took what felt like a life time before the last of the Geth fell and when it was all said and done; both Annabeth and Alenko were drained form the use of their biotics and had to stop to eat some energy bars while Williams and Jane did a final check.

As Annabeth finished her second energy bar, she gradually started making her way towards the beacon. The thing was glowing a strange green colour which was very intriguing so she continued to make her way forward almost in a trans; she was vaguely aware that Jane was calling for the Normandy to come get them and Alenko talking to Williams but something was drawing her forward. Soon, she found herself being pulled towards the beacon as if someone had grabbed her arms and she was shaken out of her stupor as she tried to pull away to no avail when all of a sudden she felt arms wrap around her waist and she was thrown back. Both Williams and Alenko were by her side instantly but when she looked up panic shot right through her; Jane was floating in the air with the greenish light now wrap around her as well as the beacon.

“J!” She screamed trying to fight her way towards her sister but Williams and Alenko held her back.  _ No! _ She screamed internally; she had just lost Nihlus she wasn’t about to lose her sister too.

“No! Don’t touch her! It’s too dangerous!” Williams yelled in her ear. The logical part of her brain told Annabeth that Williams was right but Annabeth still fought to get to her sister. She may not have been there to save Nihlus but she was here with Jane. She would risk anything to save her sister.

Before she could even attempt to break free for the others grasp the beacon explodes throwing Jane towards them. Williams and Alenko let her go and Annabeth rushed to Jane’s side to check on her.

“J!... Can you hear me! J!” Annabeth yelled as she looked her sister over more closely. Annabeth couldn’t see any exterior harm to her other than a few dents in her armor from the fighting earlier but that was it. Whatever the beacon did it didn’t leave a mark.

Annabeth could hear Alenko calling for the Normandy, informing them that they needed immediate medical assistance while Annabeth stretched one hand to feel for Jane’s pulse and when she felt the soft reassuring pump of blood under her fingertips she almost sobbed in relief. It only took a couple of minutes for the Normandy to land and the Doctor to come rushing out with a stretcher. Annabeth helped load Jane up and ran with beside the stretcher, trying to stay by Jane’s side as long as she could but the moment they hit the Med-bay Dr. Chakwas kicked her out leaving to stand outside the doors trying not to fall apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay fair warning Annabeth represses a lot of things like her full true feelings for Nihlus and other things. They will come out later and may not come forward for a while. ;) I know... I'm evil!


	18. Chapter 18 (Jane)

Pain shot through Jane like nothing she had ever felt before; images she had never seen before flashed through her mind so fast that she was unable to really comprehend what she was seeing other than tragic despair and destruction. But soon the images started to fade and the pain along with it which allowed Jane to try and fight her way back to consciousness.

Slowly, Jane could feel the fog lifting from her mind as she tested moving her fingers and toes and then tensing the muscles in her legs and arms. She could tell that everything seemed to me in working order but she was stiff as if she had been laying on something hard for too long and her mind still ached from whatever the beacon had done but she wasn’t going to let a headache keep her down.

As she began to move she could hear others around her and the first voice she heard comforted her. “Doctor? Doctor Chakwas? I think she’s waking up.” Annie said as Jane groggily started to move to a sitting position.

A handsome woman with gray, white hair came towards her with a stern motherly look on her face. Jane could tell that the Doctor meant business and was not happy to see her in the Med-bay so soon after their tour started. “You had us worried there, Shepard. How are you feeling?” Chakwas asked as she moved to stand in front of her.

Jane knew better than to lie to the good doctor, she had been around enough army Doctors to know they didn’t take bullshit answers so she replied honestly. “Feel like I have been hit by a truck.” She huffed as she moved to stand but still stayed leaning on the bed; she wasn’t sure her legs could really take her full weight just yet. “What happened? How long was I out?”

“About 15 hours. Something happened down there with the beacon, I think.” Chakwas answered and Jane internally groaned. Fifteen hours was a long time and she could only imagine what had happened since they left Eden Prime; Nihlus and Jenkins dead, Geth everywhere, a backstabbing Turian named Saren and to top it off the beacon had hijacked her mind.  _ All in a day’s work _ , the thought almost made her laugh but Annie’s voice brought her back into the moment.

“It’s my fault. I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to throw me out of the way.” Annie told her and Jane could tell that her sister was embarrassed and mad at herself; knowing Annie as well as she did, Jane knew that she was blaming herself.

“You had no way to know what would happen, Annie.” Jane reassured her but she could tell that Annie didn’t believe it.

“Actually,” Chakwas said, “we don’t even know if that’s what set it off. Unfortunately, we’ll never get the chance to find out.” Jane looked at the Doctor and then back at her sister not fully understanding. Why would they not have a chance? Had the Get come back while she was out and get the beacon from them? Had the Turian that betrayed Nihlus gotten the drop on them?

Annie must have seen that she was confused and decided to end her internal guessing game. “The beacon exploded.” She explained. “A system overload, maybe. The blast knocked you the fuck out. Alenko and I had to carry you back to the ship.”

“Thanks Annie always got my back.” Jane smiled at her sister but Annie wasn’t having any of it, the look that Annie was giving her right now told her that this never should have happened if she had had her back. When she saw that look, Jane knew that they were going to have a talk later about what had happened.

As Jane watched her sister, Dr. Chakwas started listing off Jane’s status and from what she got from what she was told was she was physically fine but apparently; she had shown some strange reading in her brain activity and rapid eye movement. She wasn’t sure what all that meant but she did know that rapid eye movement was documented when one was dreaming. This caused Jane to remember the strange vision she had been having before finding her way back into the land of the conscious.

Jane told the Doctor about the vision because she knew that it could potentially be important and she didn’t want to be yelled at later on if it turned out that this vision somehow cause some sort of weird problem with her brain. She knew she would never hear the end of it from not only the Doctor but Annie and Anderson as well.

Not even a moment later Anderson himself came strolling into the room and Jane could visibly see some of the tension in his shoulders seep out at seeing her on her feet. She gave him a quick, reassuring smile but fell into a normal at ease stance. Even though it was on record that Anderson was her adopted father, Jane never wanted that relationship to be seen as why she had been promoted as quickly as she had been so they always kept it professional in front of others as long as they were on the clock.

Ever since joining the military and reuniting with her sister no one ever questioned Jane’s or Annie’s success in the military; no one saw their promotions as favoritism but then again they never flaunted their relationships. Yes, most saw how close Annie and Jane were but no one said anything because they got the job done and according to record they meet when serving on the Tokyo. No one knew they were sisters and since their blood had never been cross referenced with each other’s no one was any the wiser.

When Anderson came to a stop in front of her the Doctor informed him of Jane’s condition and reported that she was fit for duty but made Jane swear that if she felt any different, even slightly she would report to the Med-bay ASAP. With a chuckle and ‘yes, ma’am’ from Jane the Doctor seemed satisfied so when Anderson asked for her to give them the room she left without complaint.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Annie rushed forward and hugged Jane so tight she thought she was going to break a rib. “I’m so sorry, J!” She said as she nestled her head in the crook of Jane neck. Jane squeezed her sister in return and she felt Annie loosen her grip and bring her head up allowing Jane to look at her.

“You heard the Doc. I’m fine.” Jane said giving her a reassuring smile as she gave Annie a little push.

“Are you sure, Child?” Anderson asked coming in for his own hug letting a bit of the professionalism drop. “Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard.” Jane could hear the concern in his voice and she knew that he always felt guilty whenever she or Annie got hurt because he was the one to give the order but they never saw it that way and he knew it, he was just stubborn.

As she looked at him though, anger seemed to build up inside her; not towards him but at the Alliance itself. They had gone off to Eden Prime completely unprepared for what had happened and if they had known about the risks she might have asked for more ground support or maybe had Nihlus stay with them instead of going in completely blind. “Intel dropped the ball, Dad. We had no idea what we were walking into down there, that’s why things went to hell.” Jane bit out angrily. She flinched as she listened to her own voice as she realised just how childish she sounded but it was true not the less, if their intel had been better Jenkins and Nihlus may still have been alive.

“The Geth haven’t been outside the Veil in two centuries, Jane. Nobody could have predicted this.” Anderson told her in a tone she knew was him telling her to stop behaving like a child. He was right on both counts and she knew it but right now she was just angry that things went so wrong. First Jenkins then Nihlus then the beacon, her first run as a Spectre candidate had sucked hard.

Trying to get her mind off the storm raging in her she thought of the soldier that they had acquired during the mission and almost panicked. “Did we leave Gunnery Chief Williams back on Eden Prime?” Jane asked as quickly and professionally as she could muster; she had liked the Chief and hoped that with Jenkins gone the Chief could take his place. The moment she thought it she internally chastised herself at how cold and callous she sounded but it didn’t change the facts; Jenkins was gone and Williams was a hell of a soldier.

“No. She is on the ship now.” Annie stepped forward with a big smile on her face. It wasn’t a surprise that Annie had taken a liking to the other woman since she was an amazing fighter and seemed to be well adapt with many weapons which always melted her heart.

“Yes, she’s been reassigned to the Normandy. Annabeth nearly demanded that she stay.” Anderson chuckled as he gave Annie a look that she blatantly ignored. She had a tendency to do that which tended to drive other CO’s crazy but she never ignored important things, just things she thought she could get away with.

Jane laughed knowing that Annie probably would have thrown a fit if Anderson hadn’t agreed but then again Anderson trusted Annie’s judgement too much to just ignore her suggestion. “Good, she’s a good soldier and she deserves a better post then the one she had.”

Again Jane’s mind drifted for the reason they had to add another soldier to their ranks and her anger and relief turned to sorrow. “I don’t like soldiers dying under my command and Jenkins...” She trailed off not really knowing how to continue.

“Hey, Jenkins wasn’t your fault J. If anyone is to blame it’s me. I was right there, I just didn’t push my barrier out far enough.” Annie said as she rested a hand on Jane’s shoulder. The look of regret and pain in her voice was so sharp that Jane brought hand up and mirrored Annie, giving a light squeeze.

“No.” Anderson said as he stepped forward. “You both did a good job. Alenko told me what happened and there was no way either of you could have known. It was _not_ your fault.” Jane knew when to let the subject drop, even if she didn't agree. Jenkins was her responsibility and he died on her watch, it was her burden to bare same as Nihlus; she was his backup and he died because she wasn’t quick enough, he may have gone off on his own but she was still supposed to watch his back. Now she never will get the chance to know the man which was too bad.

Knowing that she had to change the subject Jane moved on to the mission itself, describing what had happened in as much detail as she could remember. They talked at length about the mission, weighing the pros and cons of what had happened and the implications of a Turian being involved. The moment that Jane mentioned the named Saren, Anderson was quick to inform them of the Turian’s dislike for humans and if it was Saren that was involved it meant that something bad was going to happen.

Anderson asked the two women if they had seen anything that would indicate why Saren would have been on Eden Prime other than the beacon itself. Annie shook her head but had a feeling that Saren may have known that the beacon contained a vision so she told them about it. From what she could remember seeing and the emotional feelings she had gotten from it, she believe that it was some kind of warning, a warning about a synthetic race that slaughtered the Prothean people.

There was a short silence after Jane described what she had seen and knew that it would take a minute for them both to process what she had told them, hell she was still processing it herself. Immediately after he heard the news it seemed that Anderson had a plan; he wanted to inform the Council of Jane’s vision because they had no idea if this was common with other Prothean technology or if it was just a one off thing. Jane was very skeptical with this plan; she didn’t want to come across as crazy especially after the failure her mission had been but both Annie and Anderson agreed that this was the best decision.

After a brief moment’s hesitation, Jane nodded that she would inform the Council about the vision; even if she sounded crazy she knew that they needed to hear the warning that the Protheans had tried to send them. The three then spent a few more minutes having a family moment reassuring each other that they were alright before putting their Alliance faces back on and leaving the Med-bay.

Upon exiting the Med-bay, Jane could see Alenko, Chakwas and Williams all standing around the mess area as if waiting for new orders. Taking advantage of the situation, Jane broke off from Annie and Anderson to go have a chat with them. With being out of commission for the last fifteen hours and not having much time to meet the crew before leaving Earth, Jane decided that now was as good of time as any.

As she made her way through the group Jane was able to get some insight as to why Chakwas had joined the military and what she thought of Alenko, she was able to console Williams and reassure her that she deserved to be on the ship, she talked with Alenko about Saren and Nihlus and even got some information as to why he joined the military. Over all it was an enlightening experience talking with them all; she was starting to feel like she was a part of the crew versus a superior with people under her command.

Once she had finished talking with Alenko, Jane made her way up to the bridge to talk to Joker; she knew that they would be getting to the Citadel soon and she wanted to be there to watch them come into dock. It was still a sight that took her breath away every time she saw it, it would never get old. Jane was not surprised to find Annie sitting in the co-pilot's seat when she walked onto the bridge, she normally could be found there if she was done her duties. She wasn’t technically the co-pilot, they didn’t even have a co-pilot for the Normandy, but Annie acted in that capacity when needed; her knowledge of tech was terrible but after flying Wrex’s ship for so long she was decent enough help to a real pilot if things got out of hand. She was an amazing flier when it came to skycars and shuttles but a frigate was a bit of a different beast.

As the exited the relay and made their way towards the Citadel Jane heard both Alenko and Williams joined them to watch the show. Turning to see the three soldiers Jane almost burst out laughing at the looks on their faces, they were priceless and Jane could tell that out of the five of them only she and Annie had been to the Citadel before. As they made their approach, Williams and Joker bantered back and forth as they passed by the Destiny Ascension and Jane couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips, they were acting like kids but Jane knew that she acted the same way the first time she got to watch the approach. It was on her second time to the Citadel since her first time she and been in the med-bay still. Eventually the banter broke off so Joker could radio Citadel control for their docking information.

Once docked, Anderson ordered Jane, Annie, Alenko and Williams to join him at the Ambassador’s office for a meeting with the man and Jane was not really thrilled about it. She remembered meeting the Ambassador back when he was just Mr. Udina serving under Ambassador Goyle and she clearly remembered not liking; she couldn’t remember way but she just had a feeling of really not liking him.

When they arrived at his office Udina was already on a call with the Council, fighting with them and trying to get them to take action but the Council wouldn’t have any of it; she may not like the man but she was happy to see him fighting so hard to get the Council to see reason. It wasn’t hard to see it was a losing battle but he was able to arrange for the Normandy crew to plead their case to the Council in person which was better than nothing.

The call had barely ended when Udina turned and started in on Anderson and it was then that she remembered why she didn’t like him; the man was a power-hungry Politician and didn’t really care about the men and women fighting for humanity only what they made him do, typical politician. Anderson took it in stride but Jane stepped forward informing the ass hat that it was Saren’s fault that the mission failed not Anderson’s but that just gave Udina the moment he need to blame her. The fact that he had turned on her so quickly made Jane’s blood boil, blaming her for the mission going FUBAR was ridiculous and it took all of Jane’s self-control not to hit the man but she somehow managed it.

Once Udina was done his rant, he ordered her and her team to meet him and Anderson at the Citadel tower in four hours before turning on his heal and leaving the room. The moment he was out the door Annie stepped up beside her and told her that if Jane wanted, she could punch him for her; she was of lower rank and not being considered for Spectre status so it wouldn’t be as bad for her as it would be for Jane. Jane laughed at her sister’s suggestion before politely declining Annie’s kind offer and giving her a wink. Annie was one of the only ones who could see through her mask of calm and the comment had helped her bring herself back down from the rage that was burning inside.

The group had some time to kill before they had to meet Udina so when they exited his office Annie suggested that they check out the Elcor and Volus ambassador’s office which was right next door. Seeing no reason not to the group made their way inside and soon found herself talking with both ambassador’s and learning more about their cultures and history than she would have ever thought she would. While the group was talking with the Volus Ambassador, Jane noticed that another Elcor had entered the room and from what she could hear he seemed upset; not that it was easy to tell, when Elcor talked to each other they didn’t explain their feelings like when talking to someone of a different species but she did catch a few troubling words. Silently, Jane signaled for Annie to see what the fuss was all about which was easy for her to do since she was currently closest to the Elcor to begin with all she really had to do was lean against the desk to be able to hear them.

Once she had heard enough, Annie pulled Jane off to the side and explained what was wrong; the Elcor, Xeltan, was trying to get the Ambassador to look into the Asari Consort who had allegedly leaked information about him. After a brief discussion Jane decided that she wanted to help the man, if what he was saying was true it was very troubling but if it wasn’t than the Elcor could get into some really hot water. Once she decided her course of action she walked over to Xeltan and offered her assistance; at first he was very distressed that the humans had overheard his conversation but in the end agreed that with their help the situation might be solved sooner rather than later.

The group left the embassies and as they walked Annie gave a running commentary of everything they passed while Williams and Alenko drank it all in, they were fascinated. Annie explained how C-Sec worked, where they could be found and why the Council only had the three seats. She ranted on and on but when she started explaining about the Spectres program Williams cut her off asking how she could possibly know all this trivial information.

“Oh, that’s easy.” She scoffed. “When I was younger I went around and asked every Avina station I could find about the area I was in.” Annie told them as they started to make their way across the reservoir.

“Avina?” Alenko asked looking very confused.

“Yeah. Her.” Annie pointed at the Asari hologram back by the embassies. Currently there was a couple standing in front seemingly having a conversation with the interface and Alenko seemed to understand that Avina was just the name of the VI for the station. “She is very helpful, well… if you ask the right questions that is.” Annie continued as if the interruption had never happened.

The group gradually made their way over the bridge to the Asari Consorts office and was soon granted an audience. She told the group that it wasn’t her who leaked the information and how she believed that it was one of her clients; he was upset with her because she could not give him what he wanted so he decided that sullying her name would be his revenge. It took them approximately two hours of searching and one peep talk from Annie for the issue to be resolved and as thanks the Consort gave Jane a gift. Jane wasn’t quite sure what the gift was or what it did but decided that she would keep it with her at all times; even though she wasn’t one to believe in psychics there was something about her that made Jane feel like this peace was important.

A half an hour later the four found themselves at the base of the Citadel tower waiting for the elevator; it was a running joke between Annie and Jane that the elevators on the Citadel were the slowest moving things they had ever faced but both women knew that was a lie. The damned things moved surprisingly fast but the distance they had to travel was so great that it made the ride seem like it would last forever.

Once the elevator arrived and the group had selected their destination, Jane started to feel a bit excited; this would be her first time seeing the Council Chambers and not many got the privilege to see them even less who weren’t high ranking Political figures. Her excitement was a bit overshadowed by her worry about the Council’s reaction to the events of Eden Prime; sure the mission was FUBAR but hopefully they didn’t blame her like Udina had.

The others chatted way behind her as the elevator made its way closer the chambers completely missing Jane’s discomfort to which she was grateful; when she was around subordinates she didn’t know she didn’t like showing her uneasy in unknown situations, the only one who could read through that was Annie but she didn’t count in.

Finally the elevator dinged letting them know that they had reached their destination and the moment the doors opened the four marines stepped out into a beautiful garden like area. She may have never been to the Council Chambers before but Jane now understood why people considered it one of the nicest spots on the Citadel. Not only was there a park like feeling to the place but the architecture was smooth and appealing to the eye and Jane could see why the place was called peaceful; well that was until she heard the two Turians at the top of the stairs having a somewhat loud disagreement. As she got closer Jane recognized the one of them, Executor Pallin, head of C-Sec, and the other was clearly a C-Sec officer who wasn’t happy about something.

“Saren’s hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them.” The officer was demanding and Jane’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t just any C-Sec officer, it was the one looking into Saren and from the sounds of it he didn’t have much.

“Stall the Council?” Pallin huffed. “Don’t be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus.” He said before he turned and walked away.  _ Well that’s not good, _ Jane thought as they continued to make their way up the stairs.

Once he was dismissed, the Officer turned towards them as if to storm away but paused when he saw her group approaching. Jane took a moment to study the man and had to admit he was a good looking Turian. Jane was very much like her sister in that she didn’t really care what species someone was, if they had the right personality and were attractive who cares. Jane knew that if she ever said this aloud people would say she is shallow because looks aren’t everything and Jane agreed, looks aren’t everything but if you found someone who has a great personality but the thought of them naked turned you off, the relationship wasn’t going to work.

From the corner of her eye, Jane caught sight of the small smirk that had shown up on Annie’s face and she knew that she had been busted.  _ Damn that woman, _ Jane thought as she tried to keep her face neutral. Jane knew that Annie had seen the quick once over she had given the Turian and if the smirk was any indication she knew that Jane found him attractive; at least she was kind enough not to say anything about it at the moment but she knew that she would definitely hear about it later.

“Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren.” Garrus said as the group approached him. Even though Jane hadn’t worked with a lot of Turian’s she had been around Wrex enough to hear the frustrated growl coming from him; most would be intimidated by his show of frustration but Jane was actually a bit relieved, it seemed like she wasn’t the only one who felt like the Spectre was dirty.

“Sounds like you really want to bring him down.” Annie said from beside her as she gave the man a not so subtle once over. At that moment Jane’s fears had been confirmed. Annie definitely knew that Jane found him attractive so now she was doing her overprotective sister inspection, judging to see if he was worth Jane’s attention. It was funny, even though Jane was the older sister it always seemed like Annie was the more protective one when it came to potential mates for her; then again Wrex was a big deterrent for most of Annie’s potentials then Jane ever would be.

A low growl escaped the Officer bring Jane’s attention back to him. “I don’t trust him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he is a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can’t find any hard evidence.” Garrus said and Jane could practically see the frustration rolling off of him.

Jane was about to inquire more when Alenko’s voice cut her off. “I think the Council’s ready for us Commander.”

Jane sighs then nods her acknowledgment, she returned her gaze to Garrus, giving him a reassuring smile before she and the team departed. As they walked away she heard him wish them good luck and Jane could help but think they would need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Jane finds Garrus attractive!!! I always found it weird that you can't romance anyone else during ME1. I mean Kaidan/Ash/Liara is okay but why can't you romance anyone and have them be apart of your team in ME2 and ME3? That always bugged me. Anyway getting off topic. I hope you like what your reading so far!!


	19. Chapter 19 (Annabeth)

To say that the hearing with the Council was a waste of time would be a huge understatement. While she listened to the politician’s talk, there were several things that Annabeth wanted to point out that were, in her opinion, to ‘convenient’ not be noticed but the Council chose to ignore. As the proceedings went on Annabeth made several comments under her breath but never loud enough for the politicians to hear but she knew that Jane, Anderson, Ash and Kaidan could; She was sure Udina could also hear her but was choosing to ignore her.

As the hearing drew to an end it was easy to see that the Council was going to set Saren free and Annabeth was pissed. They barely took into account anything they said into account and what made her even more upset was they seemed to completely gloss over Nihlus’s death. Yes to them he was an employee of some sort but with how closely Spectre’s worked with the Council she thought that they would care a bit more. The moment the Council gave their ruling, Councillor Tevos asked them to leave allowing the next group in line to get their chance with the Council. The humans did so without a word and the six humans walked out of the Chambers towards the elevators that would take them back to the Presidium.

The group wound their way through the crowd over to a secluded area where they could talk and the moment they reached it Udina spun around giving Anderson a hard look. “It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives.” He said harshly.

Already on the defence Anderson glared back at the Ambassador. “I know Saren,” he argued, “he’s working with the Geth for one reason; to exterminate the entire human race. Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn’t safe.”

The news that Anderson and Saren had a past was a bit of a shock to Annabeth and when she asked him about it he said he wouldn’t get into what happened; only that the two had worked together once and that the outcome had been bad. Annabeth wondered why he had never told her and Jane about this before now but she also knew that there were somethings that soldiers just didn’t talk about; all soldiers had at least one of those stories and it seemed that Anderson and Saren’s history was one of those moments. With that in mind Annabeth and the other tried to come up with ideas for their next move. Udina told the group that the only way to make the Council see the truth was to expose Saren for what he really is which was obvious but the only way to do that was with solid evidence which they didn’t have. The only way to get more evidence would be to open up an investigation of their own.

Once it was decided that they would investigate for themselves, Udina left the group to figure out the how but before he did he ordered Anderson to not be involved in the investigation saying it would tarnish any evidence they found. Annabeth didn’t like it but knew that the Ambassador was right. If the Council thought there could be any bad blood between Anderson and Saren it was for the best he sat out. From there they decided to split into two teams to cover more ground. One team would go and see if the C-Sec officer, Garrus, would help while the other two would check with the local information broker.

“Okay, I’ll take Kaidan and go see Barla Von while you can take Ash and see if you can find Harkin. Hopefully, he will know where Garrus is.” Annabeth said trying to hold back the smirk coming across her face and Jane replied with a look that could kill. Annabeth rolled her eyes a bit at her sister before giving her a small smile; it wasn’t like she was trying to play matchmaker or anything. Annabeth had more experience dealing with information brokers than Jane and she knew it thus leaving no room to argue.

Sighing and giving her head a shake Jane seemed to decide it wasn’t worth the debate. “I guess that works, contact me if you find anything.” Jane replied before she and Ash headed in the direction of the lower wards while Annabeth and Kaidan made their way to the financial district to find Barla Von.

It didn’t take much looking for them to find the Volus’ office, having been there before Annabeth had no trouble getting them there; it only took those about 20 minutes to get to the financial district and another ten before the Volus in question would see them but that wasn’t a big problem, they had time. In her time working with her father, Annabeth had started to collect a decent sum of money and so she eventually enlisted the help of Barla Von to help grow her savings as well as manage her money. From her past encounters, and the information Anderson supplied, she knew he was a well-respected businessman with a knack for numbers and skirting around the taxation laws.

The moment they walked in the door the Volus greeted them in his usual breathy way. “What’s this?... tsssk… One of the Earth-clan?... tsssk… Ah, a famous one, yes?... tsssk… You are the one called Jackson… tsssk It is a great honor to… tsssk… welcome one of the heroes of the Blitz.” The Volus said as he looked her over.

As she made her way closer, Annabeth had to hide the knowing smile that wanted to play across her face. When she had decided to join the military, she had asked Von to always address her as if they had never met before since she didn’t want people looking into just how much money she had nor did she want to draw any unwanted attention. “You’ve got me at a disadvantage here. Do I know you?” Annabeth asked, crossing her arms in a non-threatening way.

“Forgive me, Earth-clan… tsssk… My name is Barla Von… tsssk… My job makes it necessary… tsssk… for me to keep informed.” Von explained in his slow way of speaking. Not that Annabeth had a problem with Volus, actually she quite liked them, but sometimes talking to one had her wanting to smash her head against a wall.

Not wanting to have to beat around the bush with him, Annabeth decided to get to the point. Normally she had the patience to talk to the Volus but not today, after the hearing she was more than a little agitated and just wanted to find the evidence they needed. “I heard that you work for the Shadow Broker. Do you have any information about Saren?” Annabeth replied in as kind of voice that she could muster.

“You are very blunt, Jackson… tsssk… But you’re right… tsssk… I am an agent for the Shadow Broker… tsssk… And I do know something about Saren… tsssk.” Von said and if Annabeth was hearing things right she would say he sounded slightly amused.

Remembering what Anderson had said about the price of Von’s help and her own past experience with the man and other Information Brokers she knew what her next question needed to be. “I hear your information can be… how shall I say… pricey.” Annabeth said studying the Volus.

Von nodded his head in agreement and Annabeth held her breath knowing that no matter the price she would have to pay, they needed this information and she knew that she would more than likely be able to afford it. “Normally, this information would cost a small fortune… tsssk… But these are exceptional circumstances… tsssk… So, I am going to give it to you for free.” Von informed her and Annabeth had to force herself not to let her jaw hit the floor. An Information Broker giving out information for free? No, there was definitely something more going on here.

Raising an eyebrow and thinking of a good way to respond, Annabeth looked the Volus over again but before she could think of anything Kaidan beat her to the punch. “What’s the catch?” He asked and Annabeth almost snorted. It wasn’t elegant nor non-accusatory but it worked all the same.

“There is no catch… tsssk…” He replied but there was no anger in his words. “The Shadow broker is quite upset with Saren right now… tsssk… They used to do a lot of business… tsssk… Until Saren turned on him.” Von explained.

Annabeth was so shocked that she actually snorted at the thought of Saren’s betrayal. “Well I’m glad we weren’t the only ones he turned on.” Annabeth said still not believing it to be true; who would be that crazy to turn on the Shadow Broker? She knew that Saren was evil but she wasn’t expecting insane, especially after hearing him talk during the hearing. Cold and distant? Yes. Insane? No.

The Volus seemed to agree. “I don’t know the details… tsssk… but the Shadow Broker hired a freelancer… tsssk… to deal with it… tsssk… A Krogan mercenary.” Von continued and Annabeth groaned. Not that she had a problem with Krogan or mercs but the idea that they would have to try and convince the mercenary that they didn’t want the bounty was going to take more effort than Annabeth really wanted to exert at the moment. However, she knew that having the mercenaries help could mean the difference between a few hours and several days’ worth of investigating.

Sighing heavily Annabeth asked the Volus the now more important question. “Where can I find this mercenary?” She tried hard not to roll her eyes as she asked but she was still annoyed that they had to do this. The dock worker may have been traumatized but it’s not like he could have picked Saren’s name out of a hat. This was a waste of their time and Saren was getting an even bigger lead than he already had.

“I heard he was paying a visit to C-Sec…tsssk… If you hurry you might catch him… tsssk… before he leaves the Academy.” Von told her and again she could hear the amusement in his voice.

“A Krogan wanted to visit C-Sec? That’s strange.” Annabeth said knowing that C-Sec had probably just brought the Krogan in for looking at someone wrong; she had been to the Citadel too many times with Wrex to know that C-Sec was bias when it came to Krogan.

“Very. However, I doubt the visit was entirely his choice… tsssk… You’ll need to speak with him if you want to know more.” Von replied as he turned back to his console. Annabeth could clearly tell that her audience with the Volus was over, nodding her head towards the exit, she and Kaidan made their way out of the Volus’s office and back onto the Presidium. Annabeth knew that C-Sec Academy was about a 20 minute walk from where they were and decided not to waste anytime dawdling; pausing only a moment to send Jane a message, she and Kaidan made their way across the Presidium at a quick pace.

Cutting down their travel time by a solid five minutes, Annabeth was happy to hear one of the C-Sec Officers yelling as the two existed the elevator; it meant that the Krogan was more than likely still there. As they made their way towards the sound of voices Annabeth soon saw the Krogan in question and just had to smile; standing at the bottom of the stairs were three C-Sec Officers and one massive Krogan in familiar red armor.

“Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist’s bar. Stay away from him.” The Human C-Sec Officer was saying as they made their way closer. Annabeth almost laughed at the sight of the man trying to act intimidating but it was not working out. He could have pulled it off better if it weren’t for the two Turian’s standing by them, guns drawn; if he wanted to be intimidating to a Krogan you never used actual weapons as a threat and you squared off one to one, not with a group.

“I don’t take orders from you.” Wrex replied, causing Annabeth’s smile to grow even bigger.  _ Yeah, same as always,  _ she thought as she watched the spectral unfold. Every time he came to the Citadel for work C-Sec would pull him in and have the same conversation with him and yet have never once actually arrested him. Wrex was too good at his job and C-sec never seemed to have anything on him but Wrex was well known as one of the best bounty hunters for a reason.

“This is your only warning, Wrex.” The Human threaten and Annabeth had to think that this was the first time this particular Human had dealt with her father. The two Turian’s looked almost board as if they had done this dance before and on closer inspection she was sure she had seen them before.

“You should warn Fist. I will Kill him.” Wrex replied as he stepped into the Officers space.

Not being one to back down the Officer held his ground, impressive since most wouldn’t attempt to, even if Wrex was being friendly. “You want me to arrest you?” The Officer tried to threaten again and this time she saw a bit of fear cross the officers face when Wrex started to chuckle.

“I want you to try.” The Krogan said and Annabeth knew it was time to step in. Not that Wrex couldn’t handle himself but she was starting to feel bad for the Officers.

Taking a step closer to Alenko she turned half towards him with a wicked glint in her eyes as she elbowed him in the side. “1000 credits on the Krogan.” Annabeth said hoping that her voice carried over the space. The look on Kaidan’s face was priceless as she heard Wrex push past the Human Officer. With a smile she turned towards the sound of the heavy footfalls as they made their way over to her.

“Bug! I didn’t know you were on the Citadel.” Wrex said as he reached them giving her a big Krogan smile. Annabeth returned it but the moment was short lived when he turned to Kaidan and glowered, “Who’s he?”

Trying not to laugh at the panic on Kaidan’s face and the overprotective Krogan, Annabeth cleared her throat to bring the attention back to her. “Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko I want you to meet Urdnot Wrex. Wrex meet Kaidan, we serve in the Alliance together." She said in way of introduction, knowing that once he found out that Kaidan was a Marine like her he would relax slightly.

Wrex gave Kaidan a hard look that Annabeth knew all too well before grunting and focusing back on her. “What are you doing down here?” He asked and Annabeth’s heart almost melted as she heard his fatherly tone. It had been too long since they had last seen each other in person, almost a year, but what was more frustrating was that she was on the clock and like with Anderson and Jane, she knew when she had to put aside her personal feelings for work.

“I’m guessing looking for you. You’re the mercenary the Shadow Broker hired?” Annabeth asked as she crossed her arms and sent him a glare. She knew that Wrex was careful with the jobs he took but to have a contract with the Shadow Broker made her nervous… it was the Shadow Broker after all.

“And what if I am?” Wrex replied with a stern fatherly look. She knew not to push him on his choice of employer now unless she wanted to get into a heated discussion that would mostly last the rest of the day.

“Then we need to know what you know.” She replied. Annabeth could see that he was about to protest so she added, “Oh and I am on duty so none of this ‘I have to protect you’ crap. We  _ need  _ to know.” Beside her, Annabeth could tell that Kaidan was both confused and nervous about the whole interaction but Annabeth didn’t really want to explain her relationship with Wrex just then.

“Humph… Fine.” Wrex finally said after giving her a withering glare. Wrex told them how the Shadow Broker hired him to take out a man named Fist because he was stupid enough to follow Saren and betray the Shadow Broker. From what Wrex knew so far it seemed that a Quarian had information linking Saren to the attack on Eden Prime and currently Fist was the only one that knew her whereabouts.

“Well it looks like we need to visit Fist.” Annabeth said as she started to walk towards the elevator that would take them to the lower wards. She saw Kaidan start to follow with a look of determination on his face but it soon turned to shock and then dismay at Wrex’s next words

“You know I’m coming with you, right?” Wrex told her and Annabeth smiled. She knew that Wrex was going to come with them even if she said no. It was his job after all and there was no way he was going to be beaten out of a bounty by his own daughter.

Annabeth turned her head to look at Wrex and replied, “I didn’t think that was a question.” She gave her father an evil grin and a wink causing the old Krogan to laugh. Clearly he had thought she was going to try and argue with him but Annabeth had no problems working with her father again and since this wasn’t technically an Alliance assignment there was no reason to say no. Once they boarded the elevator Annabeth typed a quick message to Jane to let her know they needed to meet ASAP near Chora’s Den. Hopefully Jane and Ash were still in the area, Annabeth really didn’t feel like trying to get to Fist without more back up. With Wrex having already threatened the man, there was sure to be some heavy resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The girls split up only to have Annabeth run into Wrex as their contact, to funny... well in my mind anyway. I like how Annabeth leaves Kaidan in the dark about the whole Wrex situation, adds a bit of humor.


	20. Chapter 20 (Jane)

Jane left Annie and Kaidan to their own devices as she and Ash made their way down to the lower wards to try and find Harkin. Jane had been on the Citadel more times than she could count and knew that where they were heading wasn’t the worst area on the station but definitely wasn’t the best. She knew that they would have to keep their guard up since mercenaries and criminals loved to hang out at the bars and markets in the area but she also didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to herself either. With everything going on she would be surprised if Saren had hired someone to tail her if not worst.

Her suspicion was well warranted when she noticed two Turians that seemed to be following them and Jane decided that it would be a good time to find a blind corner. It seemed to her like the two were looking for somewhere secluded they could… dispose of them and Jane had no intention of letting that happen. She knew the area well enough to know that there was an alley not far from where they were that would allow the two women to ambush the two would be aggressors she just needed to warn Ashe before they got there.

“Ash, we have two friends on our six.” Jane whispered as they were coming closer and closer to the alleyway. The alley was a good spot for them to take care of their followers since it would have a lower chance of civilians getting swept up in the fray.

Ash give the smallest of nods indicating that she had noticed their followers as well. The moment they came to the mouth of the alley they split, Jane taking one side while Ash took the other. They didn’t have to wait long before the two Turians came around the corner and with them having the advantage, the two women took care of the would be assassins before continuing on their way. They had to move quickly before C-Sec arrived to question what happen but in this area of the lower wards along with the assassins’ markings on the men it wouldn’t be hard for C-Sec to realize what had transpired.

Jane felt little guilt at taking the lives of the two wannabe assassins, she had learned long ago not to let other people’s choices affect her; if she allowed that than she would never be able to get out of bed in the morning. Over the years as a soldier, Jane had taken many lives and she remembered almost every life she took but she had found a way of coping with the fact that she ended their lives. It wasn’t easy, she still knew that she was ending a life but she also knew that she was making the galaxy safer one person at a time. 

It didn’t take long from there before the two women found themselves standing just inside Chora’s Den and Jane just had to shake her head. She had been to this particular bar several times with her sister because it was cheap, dark and generally didn’t have people who would recognise them on site; not that Jane had a problem with having people recognise her but after a hard mission it was nice to go somewhere where people didn’t give a crap about who you were.

Making their way into the bar it didn’t take long for the two women to find Harkin with his C-Sec uniform still on and drink in hand, it made Jane sick. Not the fact that he was wearing his uniform while drinking but the look in his eyes, he was looking at every Asari and human women walk by like they were there for his entertainment whether they worked here or not. Jane could tell instantly that this was not going to be a fun conversation.

As they approached Jane was instantly proven right the moment Harkin opened his mouth. “Hey there, sweetheart, you looking for some fun? ‘Cause I gotta say that soldier getup looks real good on that bod of yours. Why don’t you sit your sweet little ass down beside old Harkin? Have a drink and we’ll see where it goes.”  _ Yep, he’s and ass _ , Jane thought as a shiver of disgust rolled down her back.

“I’d rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade.” Jane replied with a look of complete revulsion on her face; there was no way that Jane was going to hid her dislike for the man and from the looks of it, he was used to this kind of rejection.

“You trying to hurt my feelings? You gotta do better than that. After 20 years with C-Sec, I’ve been called every name in the book, princess.” Harkin spat back and at that moment, Jane was glad that Annie wasn’t with them. Ever since being reunited with her sister, Annie had to be restrained from beating people that called her princess; she never explain why but Jane had a feeling it had to do something with the Batarians that had taken her all those years ago.

“Cut the crap, Harkin! Now I’m looking for someone. Garrus, do you know where I can find him?” Jane snapped and she could almost hear the rusted gears of Harkin’s mind moving.

“Garrus you say? Heh. You must be one of Anderson’s crew.” Jane almost laughed at the man, clearly he didn’t know who she was since it was pretty common knowledge among Human’s at C-Sec that Anderson was her father. “Poor bastard’s still trying to bring down Saren, eh? I know where Garrus in. But you got tell me something first. Did the Captain let you in on his big secret?” Harkin asked in a sickeningly stuck-up tone.

Jane rolled her eyes at the man; there was nothing that Harkin could say that Jane wouldn’t already know about Anderson. Jane already knew that Anderson and Saren had a past and that they had been on a mission that had gone poorly but Jane never really pried because she could tell that it made not only Anderson uncomfortable but also Kahlee if she happened to be around. “I know what I need to know and probably more since he raised me. Now tell me. Where is Garrus?” Jane demanded and that’s when it must have clicked in Harkin’s head, he finally realized who he was talking to.

Huffing out an annoyed breath, Harkin seemed to figure that Jane probably did know more than he did on the subject. “Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michael's office. She runs the med clinic on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was going back there.” Harkin told her and since they had the information that they needed she turned and left without as much as a good-bye.

“I don’t know about you but I feel like I need a shower and he wasn’t even talking to me.” Ash said as they made their way to the door.

Chuckling, Jane couldn’t help but agree. “You and me both, Chief, you and me both.”

The moment they stepped out of the club, Jane took a deep breath of fresh air not that they weren’t surrounded by the loud bass and smell of stale booze; outside the club they could still hear the noise from inside but it wasn’t as deafening as it was inside. The farther away from the bar they moved the less the sound could be heard but Jane still felt like a shower was necessary.

As they made their way towards what Jane hoped was the correct medical office, she heard her Omni-tool go off. Not even pausing in her walk, Jane checked to see what it was about and she was relieved to see that Annie and Kaidan seemed to have a lead from the Information Broker. They were currently on their way to C-Sec Academy to talk with some mercenary who was hired by the Shadow Broker; apparently, he had some information that would lead them in the right direction. Distracted by what she was reading, it wasn’t until she bumps into someone that she realizes someone was calling her name.

Looking around, Jane saw a woman with chin length, dark brown hair, golden brown eyes and pale skin wave at her. Not knowing what the woman wanted but also not wanting to be rude Jane decided that she would see what the woman wanted. As Jane moved closer she did a quick rundown of the woman and could see that she was wearing a dark black, Asari styled dress with multiple cutouts showing off a decent amount of skin along with arm warmers that stopped mid-bicep. Just form one quick look at the woman and Jane could tell that she was more than likely either a politician or a reporter; she didn’t know which would be worse.

“Commander Shepard! I’m Emily Wong. I’m an investigative journalist working on the Citadel. Could I have a moment of your time?” Emily asked and Jane almost let slip a groan as she listened to what the woman wanted. She explained how she was investigating some major players for corruption and organized crime on the Citadel and how she needed some help getting the information she needed.

After hearing what the woman had to say, Jane was happy to help; initially Jane had thought she was just another reporter but to actually find a journalist worthy of the title was refreshing. Jane informed Emily that she would indeed help her out if she came across anything of use; having a good relationship with an investigative journalist could be something that would pay off in the long run if Jane played her cards right.

Jane and Ash left Miss Wong shortly after and continued on their way to the clinic; the wards were busy with all sorts of life but Jane noticed that the closer they got to the clinic the quieter it seemed to get which was odd. Most of the time being near a clinic this deep in the wards meant safety; normally this was where you would be most likely to see Duct Rats around but not now.

Jane was immediately on edge and the closer they got to the doors the more she was sure she could hear angry voices. Once they got to the door, Jane’s fears were soon realized as she heard a woman with a French accent cry out, “I didn’t tell anyone. I swear!”

Both Jane and Ash were quick on the draw as both women grabbed their assault rifles. Nodding once to her, Ash palmed the door open while Jane moved into the room. It only took Jane a second to analyze the situation and notice it wasn’t good. She could see Vakarian hunched down where the thugs couldn’t see him but there were four men with guns surrounding who Jane assumed was the Doctor.

“That was smart, Doc. Now, if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we’ll…” The thug stopped the moment he saw both Jane and Ash walk into the room with guns drawn. Quickly the man grabbed the Doctor and moved her in front of him to use as a shield. “Who are you!” He demanded as he pointed his gun at them. Jane didn’t even flinch as the gun was pointed in her direction since she was still in armor and her shields were more than sufficient to deal with his crappy pistol but was she was more concerned about was the Doctor. How could she get the man to let the Doctor go without hurting her?

Deciding to try the diplomatic way, Jane looked directly into the man’s eyes letting the steely cold Commander come out and play. “Let her go!” Jane demanded back and she could see the small bit of surprise in the man’s eyes when he heard her request, understanding that he was facing an enemy that was going to be harder to take down then just some random civilian.

The man would never get the chance to find out, however, because as the Thugs were focused on them the Detective decided that he would step in and take matters into his own hands. Standing up from behind his cover, he shot the man holding the hostage in the head; it was an impressive shot but reckless since that now left a civilian in the middle of a gun fight. Really wishing that Annie or Kaidan was here to give the woman a barrier of some sort, Jane charged forward trying to draw the gunfire to her; it worked better than she expected as all three men now turned to fire on her.

Not skipping a beat both Ash and Vakarian jumped in to back her up and Jane was happy to see that the Doctor was smart enough to move to cover; Jane could tell that the woman was no stranger to gun fights since she found decent cover but she could also tell that it was the first time she had been the focus of the attack. Within only a couple minutes the thugs were down and the fighting was over which wasn’t a surprise since all three of the thugs had been wearing civilian attire while Vakarian, Jane and Ash were in relatively good armor.

The moment Jane was sure everyone was down and out she called the all clear before making her way over to where Vakarian and the Doctor were standing. She was just about to ask the Doctor if she was alright when Vakarian took a step forward.

“Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard.” Vakarian tells her and she could hear the pleased rumbling sounds coming from him even from where she was standing; that was enough to tick her off.

“What were you thinking? You could have hit the hostage!” Jane scolded him; she realised that she sounded like a mother scolding a bad kid instead of a soldier reprimanding a peer but she didn't care. He had been reckless and he needed to see that even if it had been a good shot.

“There wasn’t time to think! I just reacted. I didn’t mean to… Dr. Michel? Are you hurt?” He asked looking over at the Doctor. Jane could see that he was coming down from his adrenalin, or the Turian equivalent, and knew that he had not only could have potently have hit the Doctor but also endangered her by having her in the middle of a firefight. The look of realization settled Jane a bit because it made it clear that he don’t normally act so rashly.

“No, I’m okay thanks to you.” The Doctor replied looking directly at Vakarian and Jane couldn’t help wonder if they were together. “All of you.” She continued as she turned towards Jane and Jane was sure she could hear the slightest tremors to her voice. Jane felt bad for the woman, she seemed to have been swept up in something that she really had no business being a part of but if Vakarian was here then that must mean that something fishy was going on.

Knowing that much, Jane knew that she couldn’t just take the Detective and leave; no, now she was a part of this and Jane had to make sure she was safe. “I know those men threatened you. But if you tell us who those men work for, we can protect you.” Jane said as she tries her beast to sooth the woman’s nervous.

Looking first to Vakarian, who nodded to her in encouragement she turns to face Jane and again can’t help but think that maybe there was a relationship between them. “They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the Quarian.” The Doctor replied and Jane noted the use of Vakarian’s given name over Detective or Surname. Jane was also a little surprised at how quickly the Doctor seemed too recovered after being held hostage but then again they weren't in the nicest area of the Citadel and this clinic seemed to be one that if you wanted you could get fixed up no questions asked.

Thinking just that Jane realized the Doctor said Quarian which was strange; the Citadel didn’t tend to see many Quarians and Jane couldn’t help but wonder what would bring a Quarian to a clinic and subsequently be required to then keep ones mouth shut. “What Quarian?” Jane pushed, hoping that she didn’t push the woman too far.

The Doctor explained how a few days before a Quarian had come to her clinic seeking aid; she had been shot but wouldn't tell the Doctor what had happened only that she was looking for a way to trade some information for a safe place to hide. The Doctor had known that the one of the local bar owners was an information broker and thought she was being helpful when she put the Quarian in contact with Fist. As the Doctor talked, Jane could see that she was very distressed about the situation and she wasn’t sure whether it was from the dead bodies that were mere feet from them or if it was the worry over what she had sent the Quarian into.

When Vakarian heard the news about Fist he growled low as he told them that Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker and was now working for Saren. The news put a bad taste in Jane’s mouth knowing that the Quarian was more than likely walking into a trap. The Doctor on the other hand was almost too shocked to speak, the idea that Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker was something she must not have thought about and Jane was happy to know that the Doctor was not guilty of purposely sending the Quarian to her death. After shaking off her shock, the Doctor informed them that the information that the girl had was something related to the Geth. Upon hearing that Jane thanked the Doctor while turning to Ashley giving her a nod. They needed to pay this Fist person a visit and soon.

Before Jane could even think about leaving Vakarian stepped forward nearly launching himself at her. “This is you show, Shepard. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I’m coming with you!” He said giving her a look that she knew meant he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Jane studied him for a moment and had to admit even though he was a bit of a hot head she had been impressed with his skill taking down the thugs earlier and she knew having a C-Sec officer with her could be helpful so she agreed. Giving one last nod to the Doctor, Jane left with the other two hot on her trail.

“Vakarian, what you did back there was reckless and put the Doctor in danger, with that said will follow my orders if we come to a situation that involves us pulling out our weapons. Is that clear?” She asked as they started off in the direction of Chora’s Den.

“Yes, Commander. I wasn’t thinking clearly and your right, it won’t happen again.” He replied and that was all Jane needed to hear. “But Commander, we might want to make a stop at C-Sec. We brought in a Krogan earlier who was going after Fist; he might be of some help.”

Jane nodded her head while stopping to check her Omni-tool. “Yes, out comrades are their now. Jackson just messaged me; we are to meet them just outside of Chora’s Den with the mercenary.” Jane told them as they continued on their way. “Oh and other thing Vakarian.” she paused as she looked over at him with a smirk on her face. “Even though it was a reckless move it was a hell of a shot. I was impressed.”

The stunned look on his face was definitely worth the moments laps in protocol. “Um, thank you Commander.” He replied once he got over his shock. Jane turned to Ash who looked like she was trying not to laugh at the whole display. Giving her a smile and a wink was what threw her over the edge and both women were chuckling as they made their way towards the bar they left not that long ago. The three made quicktime getting back to the bar and as they rounded the last corner before the bar she heard Annie’s voice call out to her.

“Look who I found!” Annie yelled excitedly.

As she took in the scene in front of her, Jane couldn’t help the huge smile spread across her face, “Wrex!” She called as she moved forward with a bit more spring in her step.

Wrex laughed at her enthusiasm as came up and patted his arm, “Good to see you Shepard!” He replied giving her his big Krogan smile. Jane couldn’t be happier that Wrex was the Krogan mercenary they picked up, most mercenaries were a problem to be with and Krogan were even bigger problems because if you weren’t the one paying them they generally didn’t give a crap who lived or died.

As she had her little reunion with Wrex, Jane noticed how both Kaidan and Ash were on guard, giving both their new members looks. She could see that they were more comfortable with Vakarian, probably because he was C-Sec but both were looking at Wrex as if he would lash out at any moment. Jane had to admit that she was happy to see them on guard but she wasn’t sure if it was because they were new comers or because they were alien, she hoped it was the former. With a quick look to both Wrex and Vakarian Jane could tell that they both could tell that the two soldiers were on edge. “At ease you two. Neither of these two will cause problems for us. Vakarian is an officer of the law and Wrex knows better than cause us any problems.”

“No offense Skipper, but Wrex is a  _ Krogan mercenary _ . I think caution should be taken.” Ash replied looking uncomfortable at the idea of Wrex joining their group.

“He won’t hurt you; he’s a big softy really. A cuddly teddy bear, if you will.” Annie said giving them a big smile as Wrex turned to glare at her. “He’s a smart man that knows that hurting you will lead to bad things. Also he wouldn’t want to hurt me and hurting you would be hurting me.” She finished looking at Wrex who was still glaring at her.

“And why should he care about not hurting you, ma’am?” Kaidan responded clearly hearing Wrex’s exasperated growl and taking it as threatening.

Realization coming across her face, Annie smacked her hand to her forehead. “Oh! Right. Ash, Kaidan, Wrex is my adopted father.” Annie said staring back at the two whose mouths dropped open at the confession.

“Oh!” Kaidan said at the same time as Ash’s, “Really?” It was amusing to watch the sight but what caught her by surprise was Vakarian’s lack of reaction; he just nodded his head like he had seen weirder things than a Krogan mercenary with a Human daughter but then again Wrex was pretty well known at C-Sec so maybe he already knew.

Not bothered by the looks that he was now receiving from the two Alliance marines Wrex turned to Jane leveling her with a slightly impatient look. “Can we go kill Fist now?” He asked which caused both Jane and Annie to laugh. Of course he would say something so forward in front of a C-Sec officer, not that Jane thought Vakarian would do anything at the moment but still; the law was the law.

“Okay, come on big guy; let’s go finish your contract.” Annie said as she lead the other five the rest of the way to the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did you think? I know that Emily Wong doesn't play a huge part in the games but I have been playing with the idea of giving her a bigger part. It might not be for a long time but hey... got to start somewhere! :)
> 
> P.S. 50,000 Words!! Oh my!!
> 
> P.S.S. this is as far as I have gotten with the editing!! I hope that you like the updates and I plan on having more updates done soon!! I had to put my other works on hold to do this so I am trying to get this done as soon as possible so my other works don't suffer!!!


	21. Chapter 21 (Garrus)

Leaving the tower, Garrus was not in a good mood. His fight with Pallin had not been the first and he would probably be chewed out later for his behavior but it was hard for him to care at the moment. He had been put on the Eden Prime case because of his skill at solving hard cases but the fact that everywhere he turned he had been strapped down with red tape or the big one ‘Classified’ was enough to make him want to gag. His talk with the Human’s had not helped his mood either, it seemed that they were counting on his investigation and he couldn’t help feel like he had let them down.

Lost in thought, Garrus decided that he would walk back to his office at C-Sec when his Omni-tool went off with informing him of suspicious activity around the clinic down in the wards. Pausing for a moment Garrus decided that it wouldn’t hurt to check in with Doctor Michel. She had been a lot of help over the past year, informing him of any possible information he could use while she was fixed up her patients. After a while she had started giving him good information that lead to taking down some criminals that, if they ever found out, would put the Doctor in serious trouble if they ever found out so Garrus had started keeping an eye out for her. This activity, however, seemed strange; not because it was happening but because who it was. The Human’s that were spotted scouting out the area worked for Fist and if his information was right Fist worked for Saren.

Quickening his pace, he made his to his office to grab some weapons before heading down to the lower wards. After first two years of being a beat cop, Garrus knew that it would be ridiculous to go into the wards without some sort of weapon and though he always carried a pistol he knew having an assault rifle could be life or death depending upon what they men wanted.

Gearing up only took Garrus a few minutes but it had already been nearly twenty since he had received the alert; he was wasting time. Making sure he sent a message to his direct superior, he quickly made his way out of his office and down into the wards.

In his haste to get to where he was going, Garrus nearly knocked someone over. When he turned to apologize he immediately didn’t really care. “Ah, sorry Harkin. Didn’t see you there.”

Glaring at him, Harkin just muttered a ‘whatever’ before asking where Garrus was going in such a hurry. Not really wanting Harkin to know about his contact he just said that he had a lead on a case in the wards near the clinic, thinking that it would be enough to pacify the Human. He was wrong however since Harkin mumbled something under his breath about the Doctor and something blue that Garrus didn’t quite hear but also didn’t really care.

“Look Harkin I have to go.” Garrus told the drunken, disgraced of a C-Sec officer before turning on his heel and leaving the man behind.

After another twenty minutes of scoping out the area, Garrus noticed four human men all wearing the same uniform meeting just outside the main doors to the clinic. They seemed to have a brief discussion before one of them motioned that they were to head inside. After taking a close look at their uniforms, Garrus was sure that these men worked for Fist and immediately he jumped into action. Even if his investigation had been a bust the Detective was able to confirm one thing, Fist worked for Saren and that was enough for him to be worried.

Moving quickly, the C-Sec officer moved to the side door that the Doctor used for deliveries and made his way in. Meandering his way as quickly and quietly as he could, Garrus moved a sense of stealth that he hadn’t had use for since his time in the Turian Special Ops.

Creeping along the stockroom took Garrus long than he would have liked but eventually he made it into the main room. Using the half partition wall to hide behind, the detective crouched as low as he could, trying not only to keep his large form from being spotted but keep his maneuverability.

The Human’s seemed to be paying little attention to what was going on around them and it wasn’t until the main door opened that they noticed how clumsy they had been. Taking the opportunity that presented itself, Garrus was moving and firing his gun before he even knew that was happening. The fight didn’t last long and once the air settled he finally noticed who was the one to come to his aid. It was none other than Commander Shepard herself and Garrus couldn’t help but think that it was his lucky day.

\--

As the Detective walked alongside his new companions he had to admit that he was very impressed with Human Commander. When she had shown up at Dr. Michael's clinic he had been more than happy to have some backup even if he should have technically written them up for firing their weapons without authorization but they had saved his ass and the was grateful. Writing them up now would feel wrong and what C-Sec command didn't know won't hurt them.

Once the firefight had end Garrus finally got a good look at the tiny Human and if he was being honest he had almost found it funny when she marched up to him and scolded him for his actions. If the Commander hadn’t had been so right, he would have probably laughed. When he had asked to join her in her investigation the Detective didn’t know if the Commander was going to allow him to come after the stunt he had pulled but was relieved that she accepted his help.

On their way to meet with the Commander’s other team members Garrus was again surprise when the woman complimented his shot after telling him how reckless he had been. It must have been a Human thing since no Turian Commander would ever say such a thing but the detective couldn't help how his heart filled with pride at the praise. He knew that it was a good shot but having a superior compliment him in that way… well he had never really had that before. Turian’s rarely gave out praise after doing something so risky, normally he would have been chewed out and put on cleaning duty until the Commanding officer felt he had learned his lesson. Apparently, humans are different.

It wasn’t long before the three met up with the rest of the Commander’s team and he had to pause a moment to take it all in. Not only had her other team picked up the Krogan from C-Sec but it seemed like both the Commander and Lieutenant-Commander were comfortable in his presence so when Jackson revealed that Wrex was her father it made sense in a weird sort of way.

Once the introductions were over and Wrex had not so subtly asked if they could “go kill Fist” the newly formed team were on their way. As the group moved towards the club Jackson told them what she knew. The information broker told them about Fist’s betrayal and about the Krogan mercenary hired to kill him. Wrex filled them in on his bounty and from what was being said it seemed that the Commander was going to allow him to fulfill his bounty, not that they really could stop him unless Garrus arrested him but that wasn’t going to happen. He had been on the station for years and ever since he had arrived C-Sec had been looking at away to take down the club manager. Fist was dirty to the core and no matter what C-Sec found, his lawyers had him out the next day. It was beyond frustrating.

“Well, it’s more than likely they know we are coming.” Jackson said, breaking into Garrus’s musings. “Wrex was at C-Sec because he was threatening to kill Fist.”

Chuckling the Commander looked over at the mountainous Krogan. “You never make it easy for yourself, do you Wrex?”

The Krogan returned the look with a glint in his eyes that Garrus had never seen on a Krogan, it was almost loving. “What? I like to keep things interesting.” Wrex replied as he gave Shepard a small push.

Hell, if this is what the Krogan found interesting, Garrus wasn't sure how much time he wanted to spend around the mercenary. “Well if Fist knows we are coming then it’s safe to say he will be heavily guard.” Garrus informs the group as he pulls his assault rifle off his back.

Snorting, Jackson gives him a smile and twitches her eye…  _ No, winks… that’s what humans call it… _ before responding to him with teasing sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Thanks, Captain obvious.”

Glancing over at the Alliance Officer, Garrus couldn’t help but feel confused; he knew logically that it was more than likely a human saying that he just didn’t quite get but it bothered him. Was she being rude or was she teasing? It sounded to him like she was teasing but he wasn’t the best at reading human facial features nor their tone of voice. Sure, he had worked with human’s awhile and can get the basics like anger, sadness, happy, etc. but with things like teasing and joking be subjective it was hard for him to tell. Deciding that he didn’t want to assume anything he opened his mouth to ask when Shepard signaled them to stop and be quiet.

The whole group did as she asked and Garrus was surprised to see that Wrex obeyed without hesitation and in that moment, he decided that he wanted to be apart of their lives. It was a terrifying feeling but an exhilarating one all the same; after all they were strangers. He didn’t have time to dwell on the new feelings he was having since the moment Williams opened the door to Chora’s Den the team was immediately under fire.

Ducking behind cover along with the rest of the team, the detective automatically started shooting, taking out the guards that stood atop the bar. As he fired, he couldn’t help feel a little overwhelmed at the abound of guards that were packed into the place. There were several hidden behind the bar and fifteen to twenty more spaced out using turned over tables for cover.

Firing another shot at one of the men on top the bar bringing down his shields, the blue-eyed Turian was about to place the kill shot when he heard the bark of a sniper rifle to his left. Ducking back into cover to let his shields regenerate the detective turned to see who had taken the shot. He was not disappointed when he noticed that it was the Commander herself that had downed the man and if Garrus’s visor had been right the shot had gone right through the center of his eyes.

The fighting continued and as it did the detective took note of the others on the Commander’s team. Wrex was a one man wrecking ball who charged into the fray of gunman laughing happily and he used his shotgun and impressive biotics to clear the guards to their right. Williams and Alenko cleared the area to their left, the Gunnery Chief taking out any in the midrange while Alenko used his own biotics and pistol to take out any that came in too close. What caught the Detective off guard was Jackson. At some point during the battle she had somehow gotten behind the bar and was taking on three of the men on in hand to hand; all of her weapons were still on her back and her pistol was sitting on the bar several feet from her and by the looks of it, it had been knocked out of her hand.

After several seconds of watching the combat in front of him, Garrus was snapped out of his stupor when he heard Shepard call for him to take out the shield of one of the men in the back of the room. It was clear from her relaxed expression that she wasn’t worried about Jackson’s situation so he just did as he was told.

Almost an hour and a half later the team had disposed of the men that had been blocking their way to Fist and now they just had a little way to go. In the back of his mind Garrus knew that there would be a mountain of paperwork to fill out after all of this but right now he didn’t care. After seeing how this group fought together, all the blue-eyed Turian could think of how he would love to fight with this group of people again if that was the rush he would get from it.

As the team made their way towards the back room, the detective was still trying to get over his surprise at Jackson. During the entire fight he had only seen her use her fists, biotics or pistol, never anything else; even Alenko had switched to using his assault rifle once the enemies started overwhelming them but not Jackson. She just continued to use her pistol to make unbelievable shots that would not have been possible with any normal pistol. Calling that woman’s gun just a pistol would be like calling his visor just a visor, clearly the woman had modified the thing to the point it was almost an up-close sniper rifle.

“I see the pistol is still working.” Wrex commented, drawing Garrus from his thoughts of just how illegal the weapon probably was.

Jackson shot the Krogan mischievous grin. “Of course, it is. I love this thing. You can’t get anything like it anywhere.” Jackson replied and it was that small statement that Garrus knew for sure that he didn’t want to look to closely at that the gun; if he did, he would be forced to notify someone of the illegal weapon but at the same time he wanted to see it despite the risk.

“Guess I’ll have to buy you a shotgun so you will start using something a little more practical.” Wrex grumbled. Understanding dawning now dawning on him, everything started to make sense. Clearly Wrex bought the gun for his adopted daughter and now that was the weapon she used. He understood that, the reason he had first picked up a sniper rifle was because it was his mother's weapon of choice.

Jackson shook her head at the Krogan as she moved into place at Shepard’s side; the Commander palmed the door leading into the storage area where they found two more humans but it was clear that the two men were not guards but warehouse workers. The detective was pleased that it hadn’t come to blood shed, Shepard had simply told them to find new employment to which the men agreed and left. Garrus had been impressed but Wrex seemed a bit disheartened saying how they were wasting time but the Commander took it in stride, shaking her head with a quiet chuckle and continued on her way.

Taking down Fist and his turrets took no time at all for the experienced team; while Garrus and the Commander sent out overloads towards the torrents, Jackson and Alenko hit them with warps causing them to explode. After that Fist was quick to surrender to them no knowing that it was unlikely he would leave the room alive. The coward told the group everything he knew, which wasn’t much but he did hand them another lead.

The Quarian that Doctor Michel had told them about did indeed visit Fist to try and sell her information to the Shadow Broker. Now from what Fist told them it was clear that the female at least had some sense since she hadn’t just handed over the information but to have believed him when he said he would ask the Shadow Broker to meet her in person, well she was said to be young. Fist had taken the opportunity to lie to the Quarian telling her that he would set up a meeting with her and the Shadow Broker; Wrex’s laugher at the idea was telling enough for Garrus to know that even the Krogan hadn’t met with the Shadow Broker.

The idea didn’t shock Garrus at all, for being the best in the business the Shadow Broker would have to keep his identity a secret, not just anyone would know it. Before long the ex-information broker told them that he had set up the supposed meeting to go down in the ally not far from the club. It was set to go down in twenty minutes and if they hurried they could probably save the girl’s life.

With that last piece of information, the mercenary brought his shotgun up and hit him square in the chest. “What? I told you I was going to kill him.” Wrex said defiantly, looking at the other members of the team who were giving him a mix of different looks. Shepard and Jackson just shook their heads not surprised by the action at all as the other two humans and Garrus himself looked shocked. He had known logically that Wrex wouldn’t be paid unless he killed Fist but at the same time he hadn’t thought that the Commander would have allowed it; he thought it would have been cuffs and off to C-Sec and since he was caught in the act by several individuals he would have been put away for a long time.

Snapping them out of their shock, the green-eyed woman gave out her orders. “Ash, Kaidan stay hear and see if you can find anything of use. The rest of you, follow me.”

The three fell into step as Jackson took point with Wrex on her two, Garrus her eight and Shepard her six. It was a good formation, however, he felt like Wrex and Jackson should be switched around but it wasn’t his call to make.

The team had barely made it out of the warehouse area before running into more of Saren’s thugs and this time the fighting was a bit different since they were down two team members. The hazel-eyed alliance officer was quick to sent out a throw, knocking over several men while the red-plated Krogan charged into the fray. Taking aim as fast as he could, Garrus along with the Commander took out the men on the far side of the room while Jackson and Wrex kept the criminals off them. The fight only took them ten minutes but it was ten minutes that were life or death for the Quarian woman who was unknowingly waking into a trap.

The moment they were sure that the bar was clear of hostiles the group of four picked up their pace. They moved as fast as they could towards the meeting area and as they got close the four fell back into formation. This time Garrus felt more comfortable with it, after fighting in it for a short while he now understood what a fighting force Jackson truly was at close range. As they rounded the corner to the alley Garrus noticed that the meeting had already started and to his horror, he watched as the Assassin raised his weapon to open fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought Garrus would respect the fact that Wrex would follow Shepard. I mean Wrex is a merc who is used to working on his own and being his own boss to all of a sudden following a tiny human. I mean come on, there has to be some respect shown there. Anyway I also thought I would add in how he longed to be apart of the group after watching how they interact. It always seemed funny to me that he would want to leave his life behind to follow Shepard but now I have added a sense of longing, a sense of family to the group so it kind of made it a bit more clear in my mind anyway. I hoped you liked the Garrus PoV!


	22. Chapter 22 (Tali)

_ Why did I have to find that stupid Geth! _ Tali thought as she waited for Fist and the Shadow Broker to show up. After everything she had been through in the last 26 hours the purple hooded Quarian just wanted a safe place to relax. She had gotten some sleep while in transport thankfully so she still had her wits about her but the infection from being shot was still persisting; it wasn’t the worst infection she had ever had and considering the circumstances she had been lucky. If the Turian who bumped into her hadn’t thrown his insult, Tali would have not turned when she had and would more than likely be an unsolved C-Sec crime versus an injured, sick Quarian.

Tali couldn’t wait to get rid of the information that she was holding onto because it meant one thing, protection. Ever since she had scrubbed the data off of that stupid Geth she had been on the run and she was tired of it; she was tired of watching over her shoulder, looking around every corner and shadowy area hoping someone didn’t jump out to tur and kill her. But mostly she was tired of being terrified.

Under normal circumstances, the bright-eyed Quarian would never think to trade information with the Shadow Broker but desperate times called for desperate measures. When she had felt the flotilla, Tali never thought that this would be how it would go; she never imagined that it would end with her going into hiding but now she had no choose. If she went home now she would be left with nothing to give the Captain of the Neema which was unacceptable but not only that, she would be putting the whole fleet at risk and that was beyond unthinkable. If she had to spend the rest of her life away for the flotilla then she would, she wouldn’t like it but she would.

Hopefully it wouldn‘t come to that and one day she could go home with a gift so amazing that it would finally prove to everyone that she was more than just the Admiral’s daughter but that have to wait. Wait until after the meeting with the Shadow Broker and after Saren was brought to justice; until then she was on her own.

The minutes ticked by and the time for the meeting was drawing near when she spotted a Turian with dark charcoal plates and nasty looking white colony markings start to approached her. Behind him were three Salarians dressed in some sort of matching armor and Tali had the feeling that something was wrong. Not only did she have a bad feeling but Fist was nowhere in sight like he had said he would. Yes, if this was the Shadow Broker he was early but something still felt off so as the Turian approached she made ready a grenade; she wasn’t taking any chances.

As she watched the dark plated Turian sauntered up to her and the feeling in Tali’s gut got stronger “Did you bring it?” he asked with mock sweetness that even Tali could hear. She may not have been around other species her whole life but even she knew enough to be cautious of this male; now that he was closer she was sure that his colony markings were ones that depicted assassins.

Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, she decided that she would make the logical jump that this male was indeed not the Shadow Broker. “Where’s the Shadow Broker? Where’s Fist?” She demanded more then asked but she stood her ground. The purple clad Quarian may be young and she may be scared out of her mind but she wasn’t defenseless.

Clearly not hearing the warring in her voice, the male moved closer as he lifted his hand to touch her helmet in a suggestive way that made her skin crawl. “They’ll be here.” He replied still keeping the repulsive sweetness in his vocals. “Where’s the evidence?” As he asked he started to move his hand downward as if to stroke her arm.

Acting on impulse she slapped his hand away from her face. C _ reep! _ She thought before responding. “No way, the deal’s off.” Tali said in her most authoritative tone of voice she had. She had to admit she was surprised and impressed by how confident she sounded but it didn’t last long as the Turian gave her a disappointed look before slowly backing way.

As the male started to move, Tali’s eyes were scanning the area when she noticed movement from the direction of the Salarians. The slight movement alone was enough to tip her off; hoping that she was right, the young woman threw the grenade she had prepped and waiting, hoping it would buy her time to find some cover.

In the confusion, the bright-eyed woman was able to find some cover and pull out her shotgun but when she turned to open fire she was shocked at what she found; two of the Salarians already dead and the Turian assassin was floating several feet in the air above her desperately trying to get his feet back on the ground. It was then that she noticed the two humans, a Turian and a Krogan shooting at her would be killers. Hesitating only a moment before joining them, Tali leveled her shotgun at the closest Salarian blasting him to the side right into the line of the charging red beast of a Krogan.

It only took a few minutes to bring down the rest of the males sent to kill her but to Tali it had felt like forever. After everything she had been through she was upset and confused as to why in the entire galaxy she had such bad luck. Yes, she had purposely gone looking for the Geth but this was a bit more than she signed on for but like her mother told her before she passed, everything happened for a reason.

Turning to face the newcomers with her shotgun still at hand she let out an exasperated sigh. “Fist set me up! I knew I couldn’t trust him!” Tali said as she forced herself to sound less scared than she really was. Still not putting away her shotgun she watched as the two humans started to come forward; making sure she didn't cause more trouble, Tali studied their approach and decided that, for now, she would trust these newcomers. She was yet sure if this group was friend or foe but pointing her gun at them would be one way to insure that they were the latter.

“Don’t worry about Fist, he can’t hurt you now. Are you alright?” The slightly shorter woman with caramel hair asked as she stepped a little closer. The human seemed to sense that Tali was still on edge because she stayed out of her personal space for which the young Quarian was thankful. Looking at the hazel-eyed woman for a few moments, Tali was able to see the real concern in her eyes.

Determining that she could trust the woman, well at least for now, Tali looked her in the eyes as she replied. “I’m fine thanks to you all. Who are you?” Tali asked hoping that they were some sort of law enforcement that would believe her and treat her with some sort of respect. She had been told before she left the flotilla that most other species treated her kind as vagrants but until she had set out she hadn’t realized just how bad it was.

When she first arrived on the station she had tried to get an audience with anyone from the embassies but she had be ran out before she even made it in the building let alone up to see an ambassador. Then she had been run out of multiple stores saying that “suit rats weren’t allowed.” She would never forget the feelings of embarrassment or anger she had felt for those people but she could tell that this Human woman wasn’t like that.

Stepping forward the other woman, the red-head, took over, clearly she was the one in charge. “My name’s Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance and I hear you have some evidence to prove Saren’s a traitor." The relief that flooded Tali’s system was almost too much. She had finally found someone who would not only believe her but more than likely protect her from Saren’s assassins.

“Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life.” The young woman responded before remembering that they were standing in an alley where anyone could come across them. “But maybe not here, could we need to go somewhere safe?” She asked as she scanned the alley once again. The immediate danger may have been gone for now but this wasn't the first time Saren's thugs had tried to kill her and she was sure that it wouldn’t be the last.

“Well, we can always go to the Ambassador’s office. He will want to see this anyway.” The first woman suggested as she looked towards the Commander. The redhead thought a moment before nodding her head in agreement, finding no flaw in what the other woman proposed.

After a quick round of introductions the group headed off in the direction of the embassies’ but before they made it too far they were joined by two other humans who seemed to be a part of Shepard’s team.  Once Shepard introduced Tali, the man with golden-brown-eyes informed them of the  _ interesting _ information they had found while searching Fist's office.

Taking a moment to pause and look at the information they had collected, a small smile started to form the red-head’s face. Before anyone had a chance to ask her what it was about she changed direction heading to a different area of the Wards. Everyone seemed confused about new change in direction except the haired woman, Williams, was it?

The detour didn’t take long and after only a few moments it was easy to figure out why they had. Apparently the Commander had made a deal with a reporter, Miss. Wong and when Shepard handed over the information she seemed overjoyed. The two had a brief exchange before agreeing to stay in contact.

From there the team moved on, heading once again in the direction of the Human Embassies and when they arrived the Commander asked Wrex, Garrus, Williams and Alenko to wait in the sitting area while the other three went in and presented the evidence to the Ambassador.

The three women had barely made it into the room before the Ambassador started to speak. “You’re not making my life easy Shepard.” He growled. “Firefights in the wards? An all-out assault on Chora’s Den!? Do you know how man-” He stopped dead when he turned to find not only the Commander but Jackson and Tali as well. “Who’s this? A Quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?”

Tali couldn’t tell if the man was surprised, intrigued, disgusted, or mad at the fact that she was in the room; his tone of voice hadn’t really changed form when he was talking before but he did seem a little taken aback that there was a non Human in the room. Honestly, she wouldn't have been surprised if he was disgusted with her presence in the room; during her pilgrimage she had dealt with worse than a politician fining niceness when really he thought her worse the scum on the bottom of his shoe.

Even though she had been treated poorly by others, however, didn't mean that it felt good. She had done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment and her people deserved better. The Quarians that were responsible for unleashing the Geth were long since dead and the purple cladded Quarian didn't understand why or how the galaxy could be so short sighted and yet at the same time hold onto grudges for centuries.

“Making you day Ambassador.” Jackson’s voice came from her left breaking Tali out of her thoughts. Looking over at the Alliance officer, Tali could see the smug smile that played at her lips as she crossed her arms and gave the Ambassador a look that seemed to say ‘screw you.’

Turning to look at her college, Shepard sent Jackson an answering look that screamed ‘really!?’ but she just turned back to the balding older man in and answered him in a respectable manor. “She has information linking Saren to the Geth.”

“Really?” The man asked and Tali could definitely hear the shock and disbelieve in his voice. Whether it was because he thought it to absurd that it was a Quarian bring him the evidence he needed or he just doubted everyone the same way she wasn’t sure. “Maybe you better start at the beginning, Miss…?” The Ambassador said looking at her, clearly fishing for her name.

Only after a moment’s hesitation and a nod from Jackson did she answer. “My name is Tali. Tali’Zorah nar Rayya.”

It was then the Ambassador and Jackson asked a few questions which lead into Tali giving the human’s a brief look into Quarian culture. She explained how young adults like her participated in a rite of passage called a Pilgrimage where she had to explain what was all involved and what kind of things the flotilla would consider worthwhile without giving them too much information. Tali’s people didn’t really interact with the rest of the galactic community and she didn’t want to give away any information that could cause a problem for the fleet.

Once she had explained a little bit about her people, the group seemed to understand why she was on the Citadel by herself so they decided to move on “Tell us what you found, Tali.” Jackson asked pushing her onto the reason why they were gathered.

Tali nodded her head and began to explain, “During my travels I began hearing reports of Geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the Geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was… curious.” It took several minutes but eventually the bright-eyed Quarian explained how she was able to take down one of the Geth units and extract its memory core.

“I thought the Geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism.” The dark-skinned man stated seemingly surprised. It didn’t come to a shock that the man was sceptical; most other species wouldn’t know how to disable a Geth and find the right code fragment that would stop the defense protocol from rendering the thing useless.

“How did you manage to preserve the memory core?” Shepard asked as she looked deep in thought about something.

Nodding the young woman went on to explain how, with her people’s knowledge of the Geth, she was able to save some small bits of data and with that data came some salvaged auto which she played for everyone to hear.

The man in Alliance dress blues was quick to point out that the first voice you heard was indeed the Spectre they were looking for but no one seemed to know who the second voice belonged to. There was a brief, albeit dismissive discussion on what the voices were actually talking about but no one really knew nor had ever heard someone make reference to a Conduit or the Reapers. The Commander seemed to be adamant that she had seen the creatures in a vision she had about machines distorting the Protheans and it seemed to fit in with what she had found on the Geth. She told the room that it was possible since the Geth seemed to see the Reapers as some sort of God like beings.

Not particularly thrilled about telling the Council about the Reapers but knowing that they need to show the evidence to prove Saren was in fact a traitor the Ambassador agreed to set up a meeting. It only took one call from the Ambassador and a small yelling match with the person on the other end for them to get a meeting later that afternoon. Even though she had just met the man and didn’t really like him, Tali couldn’t deny that Udina had a way of getting things done.

There was another quick conversation amongst the other four in the room about when and where the group were to meet back up before the meeting. While the four human’s talked, the bright-eyed Quarian sat back and watched as she thought about her next steps. Now that she no longer had the evidence she should be able to continue her pilgrimage but now that she had met Shepard and Jackson and seen what they were up against she kind of wanted to go with them. Yes, her pilgrimage was important but so was stopping the rouge Spectre. Making up her mind to at least ask to go with them, Tali just needed to wait for an opportunity to present itself which it did only moments later.

“What about Tali?” Jackson asked looking over at her. “Even with her no longer having the evidence Saren still may try and eliminate her.” She stated looking very concerned. Knowing that her mask covered her shocked expression, Tali allowed herself a half a moment to realise that she probably would still be in danger. It made the choice to join them that much easier.

“You saw me in the alley, Commander.” She stated turning to look at Shepard, knowing that it would be her call. “You know what I can do. Let me come with you.” Tali asked hoping that the woman would accept her help.

A moment's pause was all it took for Tali to start panicking, thinking that the Commander was just trying to find the nicest way to let her down but she wasn’t expecting was her concern. “I thought you were on you Pilgrimage.” She states and some of the panic started to subside a bit. She was just over reacting, ever since she started her pilgrimage people of every species had either been rude or barely tolerated her but this red-head and the woman beside her and shown nothing but kindness to her. It was like they didn’t care that she was Quarian, only that she was a person in need of assistance.

With her heart a little light then it was a moment before, Tali stood a bit straighter as she explained why this was important to her. “The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this? Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My Pilgrimage can wait.” She told her in a strong clear voice but inside, Tali could feel her stomach rolling; she had never been this nervous asking about an assignment before and tried with all her might to not fidget under the two women’s combined looks.

A few moments passed in silence and Tali felt the fear of rejection coming back to her. Just as she was on the cusp of running out of the room in tears, Jackson turned to the Commander giving her a small shrug. “I like her.” Was all she said and the young Quarian wasn’t sure what that would mean but apparently that simple statement seemed to settle the matter because Shepard just nodded her head and welcomed her to the team.

“Thanks. You won't regret this.” Relief washed over her as she followed the two human’s out into the sitting area where the others were waiting.

Wasting no time, Shepard ordered Alenko and Jackson to take the C-Sec officer and Krogan to the Normandy to get settled in while Williams and Tali were to join her at the Council meeting. With a couple of ‘Yes, ma’am’s’ and a few nods the mixed species team split and headed off in different directions.

Before leaving the lobby area, however, the Commander filled Williams in on what was happening and what the plan was from their when an older man with dark skin and graying hair came up to them, asking for their help. He informed the group of who he was and that his wife had been one of the members of the 212 posted on Eden Prime. Williams recognized the name immediately and without any hesitation on the Commander’s part, she asked how she could help. Mr. Bhatia explained how the Alliance was not releasing his wife’s body nor would they tell him why they were holding it.

Both Shepard and the Gunnery Chief told the soft spoken man that they would look into the problem before departing in the direction of a man named Bosker. It only took twenty minutes for Shepard to find and the man in question and had the issue resolved. Standing of to her left during the whole ordeal, Tali watched amazed as she saw the effect that Alliance officer had not only on Mr. Bosker but Mr. Bhatia as well. The fact that she had taken the time to help a common civilian made Tali feel even better about joining Shepard in her hunt.

As soon as they had finished dealing with Mr. Bhatia’s issue the three women had to hurry in order to make it to the tower in time for the meeting. Thankfully they were close to a transit station and once Shepard input her name she was allowed to select the Council chambers as a destination.

Even though they were technically early for the meeting, Udina was already in discussions with the Council. As they approached Tali’s audio file started to play for all to hear. It was clear that the Council had really not thought that the Spectre would betray them but the moment the audio feed ended they all agreed that Saren was in fact a traitor and quickly moved to strip him of his Spectre status.

After that was deal with Tali stopped paying attention, not on propose, but she had started to scan the room and couldn’t help but think what a waste of space the room was. It was massive. If it had been on a ship in the flotilla it more than likely would have been split into multiple rooms and floors with hundreds of more people milling about and once again Tali was hit with just how different everything was.

Forcing herself to tune back in to what was going on in front of her; the young woman was shocked at just how much she had missed. For the brief moment she was in her own little world a lot had been said. In front of her stood the Commander while the Turian Councillor said something about being born not taught and then she was accepting the honor of becoming the first human Spectre. Never before in her life had Tali been so awestruck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Tali!! I love Tali, she so young, sweet and innocent in ME1. It makes you wonder what would have happened to her if she had never stumbled across that damned Geth! Oh well, I guess we will never know and really... what would this universe be like without Tali!


	23. Chapter 23 (Annabeth)

When the news of what had happened reached her ears, the hazel-eyed Alliance officer was immediately pissed. The one time that she wasn’t by her sister’s side she had to go make history by becoming the first Haman Spectre. Yeah, sure, why not? Not that Annabeth was really angry, more that she was upset that she hadn’t gotten to witness the event in person.

Ever since Jane had mentioned that she was up for Spectre candidacy Annabeth had been excited for her. The feisty red-head was a great leader, an amazing fighter and, when the moment called for it, a hell of a diplomat; she was the perfect choice for Humanities representative within the Spectre organization.

The moment that Jane had come to her down in the hold before they dropped on Eden Prime, the Lieutenant-Commander knew that her sister would want her by her side but Annabeth disagreed. Not necessarily about her own ability to be a Spectre but that Jane could easily be one without her.

That was one of the big downfalls to working with Jane all these years, even though her older sister was a capable soldier all her own and Annabeth herself was as well, they used each other as crutches sometimes. Of course they both knew that they could do without the other, they wouldn’t have made it through ICT training if they were useless without each other, but it was like they were security blankets for one and other. Not that it was a bad thing but something that they needed to work on.

As she waited on the dock outside the Normandy with Wrex, Anderson, Udina, all the brunette could think about was how proud their parents would have been and how she wished that they along with John and Nihlus could have been there.  _ No! _ Annabeth thought,  _ now is not the time.  _ The hurt from losing her parents and John had long ago faded to a dull longing; however, any thoughts of Nihlus were still too fresh to deal with. Thinking of the red-plated handsome Turian made her heart ache in a way that she didn’t want to think about so she pushed the feelings down and away for now.  _ Later, _ she thought.

Forcing her mind to move on from the depressing thoughts, the young Officer thought of what she would tell her sister when she finally made it back to the ship. She was happy for her, truly, but there was also a bit of jealousy as well. Admittedly, Annabeth liked the work she did in the military; she helped people but the idea of being a Spectre and helping more than just Humanity was also very appealing. She could make an even bigger difference in the galaxy than she was now but that is a thought for a different day. Today was about Jane and not her.

As if her thoughts were felt, Jane herself appeared as the doors to the elevator opened, along with Williams and their new Quarian friend. When her sister spotted the party waiting for her, Jane turned to their Gunnery Chief and asked her to give Tali a tour of the ship and get her settled in.

“I’ve got big news for you, Shepard.” Udina said the moment she turned to face the shore party. “Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now.” He tells the assembled group with a smug smile as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell on them.

Completely unfazed but the Ambassador’s self-satisfied grin, the Captain turned to address Jane himself. “She’s quick and quiet and you know the crew. Perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, Commander.” He stated and Annabeth could tell that he was trying to hide the grin behind his Alliance mask. Even a blind person would be able to see how proud he was but the red-head was having none of it.

“I want the truth. Why are you stepping down, sir?” She asked after sending a brief suspicious look in Annabeth’s direction as if she had known this was going to happen.

“You needed your own ship. A Spectre can’t answer to anyone but the Council. And it’s time for me to step down.” Anderson inform them and Annabeth could see some of the sadness behind his brown eyes that the statement. Ture, Anderson was starting to get up in years and should probably be stepping away from field duty but that didn’t mean that he needed to go sit behind a desk. Just from that one small look the hazel-eyes woman could tell that sitting behind a desk would be exactly what he would be doing and it sadden her to think about it.

Not agreeing with his choice of desk duty but understanding that Jane needed to be free of a commanding officer, the former mercenary was conflicted on how to feel; happy for her sister, sad for her Uncle and shocked that the Alliance was allowing the crew to stay aboard even though they would be working for the Council and not them. However, as she thought about it the more she liked the idea. Now Jane would be her boss not the Alliance… interesting.

As the brunette was mulling over all the possibilities that were now open to her, her sister pressed the Alliance Captain for more information about his past with Saren; Eventually, Jane must have convinced the man that she wouldn’t let the matter rest. Relenting he told the group about his chance at being a Spectre when he was younger; he informed them that he wouldn’t get into details now but Annabeth could tell what he was really saying.  _ Not in front of Udina.  _ Knowing Anderson as well as she did, his body language was basically scramming from them to be patient. All he would say now was that it all boiled down to one mission going FUBAR and Saren being the cause.

Apparently, seeing the tension in the Captain’s form, Jane let the subject drop for now. “I won’t let you down, sir.” Jane responded with a small nod and a quick salute.

After that was settled the conversation moved on to how to stop Saren. Stating that looking for Saren himself would be a useless venture, Anderson suggested that they focus on figuring out what the Conduit is and where it could be. The newly appointed Spectre looked over at her sister who nodded in agreement. They both knew looking for one man in a sea of people that were spread out across the galaxy would be hard to do to begin with but add the silver-plated Turian’s training and it would be downright impossible.

Agreeing with Anderson soon lead to Udina informing them of the reports he had been getting from Feros a Noveria. According the reports both colony worlds had sightings of Geth activity and needed to be investigated. Jane quickly agreed that she would look into both colonies but the idea of going to Noveria made Annabeth want to cry. She had been to the planet once before when she was younger, Wrex had a job somewhere on frozen pile of crap and she had been left in one of the hotels while he took care of business. She hated it there, mostly because everyone there were very prudish and the weather had been miserable but if that was where they needed to go then she could suck it up for a few days.

Lastly the Ambassador passed on some information that the Councillor Tevos had sent him. Apparently Matriarch Benezia had a daughter, a one Dr. Liara T’Soni who happened to be an archeologist that just so happened to be an expert on the Protheans. That was definitely a juicy piece of information and this Dr. T’Soni could either be a great ally to have or a dangerous enemy if she were to side with Saren. The moment the bitter old man mentioned the Asari, Annabeth knew that would be their first stop.

The discussion lasted only a few more minutes before Annabeth’s least favorite politician excused himself which allowed the old Battlemaster to step forward. The four family members stood talking logistics until the elevator door closed behind the Ambassador.

After a quick scan to see that they were alone on the docks, Annabeth stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jane. “Way to go sis! But next time could you keep me around so I don’t have to find out through the vids that my sister is the first human Spectre?” She said giving her sister the most intense glare she could muster.

“Sorry! It wasn’t really planned.” Jane laughed and Annabeth knew that she had seen straight through her. Sticking her tongue out and putting on a not so serious pout only cause the Jane’s laughter to grow.

Clearly amused with his daughter’s display Wrex stepped forward and gave his daughter a small push on his way to congratulate the other small woman. “Way to go Shepard! I always knew you had quad!” Wrex chuckled as he patted her on the back.

“Yes, my Child. I’m so proud of you.” Anderson agreed as he stepped forward to for his own hug.

“Thanks.” Jane replied as she tried to hide the redness started to creep up her neck. Snickering behind her and Annabeth changed the subject back to the matter at hand deciding that she wouldn’t torcher her sister too much.

The family talked for a few minutes, exchanging information they had on all the places that Udina had listed and came up with a game plan. The consensus was that they should start their search for the Asari Doctor first since she could be an invaluable asset if she weren’t already on Saren’s payroll; and if she was then it would be best to have her out of fast. Once that was settled, Wrex also suggested snooping around some neighboring systems since the Traverse was an easy place to hide from unwanted eyes if you knew where to go.

During the entire conversation it seemed that they were skirting around the subject of Anderson and Saren’s past and it was driving the youngest of the group nuts. Eventually she couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out the question that had been torturing her mind.

“What happened with you mission with Saren?” The others paused in their discussion to just stop and look at her. “What… I couldn’t take it anymore, I just want to know.”

Shaking his head with a sort of melancholy chuckle Anderson turned to face her. “As impatient as ever, Child.” Anderson said before launching into the story about his past mission with the now disgraced Spectre.

As she listened, Annabeth started to feel a bit guilty for forcing Anderson to tell them what had happened. If she had known how bad the mission truly was she would have never asked him to relive those memories but as it were, Anderson handled it well; clearly he had coped with what had happened years ago even if he still hated the Turian responsible for all those deaths.

When the story was over, the Alliance Captain quickly changed the subject which was a clear indication that he wasn’t going to talk about it further. As it were, he informed Jane that the Normandy would have to remain docked for 24 hours to give the Alliance and Citadel Control enough time to finish up the transfer paperwork.

Liking the sounds of that, hazel-eyes met green and a grin split across both faces. “Alright! Time to celebrate. Why don’t we invite everyone over to the apartment for drinks?” Annabeth suggested as she started running through all the possibilities the night could bring.

A few years ago, Anderson and Kahlee had moved into a bigger apartment here on the Citadel and instead of listing the old one he decided to give the apartment to the two girls as a gift. Now it wasn’t just him since Wrex had apparently helped pay for some of the place to but the girls had been overwhelmed. They had tried to say they didn’t need their own place but neither males would have any of it saying that they had gotten too old to be staying with their dads while on shore leave. Deciding that it would take more than that to convince the two strong headed ladies to keep the apartment, the men handed over the keys on their respective birthdays. Jane’s when she turned twenty six and Annabeth’s at twenty four.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Anderson said smiling at the thought. “Too bad I won’t be joining you. Sadly, duty calls.” Giving both girls a quick hug, and Wrex a handshake, he turned and made his way back to the elevator more than likely to deal with something Udina needed.

Not wanting to waste any time Jane turned back to her younger sister and have a shape nod as if coming to a decision. “Alight Annie, go inform the crew of shore leave and send out an open invitation to whoever wishes to come celebrate.” Jane requested.

Before Jane had time to change her mind, Annabeth turned and headed off towards the ship with a bit of a spring to her step which caused both the Krogan and Human behind her to laugh. It only took a minute for the decontamination cycle to finish running before she was on her way to the bridge to make the announcement.

As she approached she saw the pilot rotate he body around to watch her approach with a look of apprehension on his face. “What’s going on?” he asked nervously, staring at her shit eating grin.

Trying hard not to laugh she wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Patch me in over the comm system and you’ll find out.” After nodding and typing in a few commands Joker gave her one last look of  _ you better not get me in trouble _ before activating the comm.

Smiling the Lieutenant-Commander informed her crew of the twenty four hour shore leave stating that everyone was to go out and have a break before they started their hunt. After listing the standard, ‘don’t cause trouble, be smart’ speech, she informed them that leave out end at 1100 hours the next day cycle. Before signing off she invited the crew to come celebrate with the Commander on her newest accomplishment of reach Spectre status and any who would like to join where to meet her on the dock in 15 minutes or they would be left behind.

Once the comm went dead Annabeth pinged both Tali and Vakarian, personally inviting them out as a get to know them sort of experience. That done, she turned her head to look down at the bearded pilot with a mischievous look in her eyes, “Come on limpy, you’re coming too.”

Snorting, Joker looked back up at her with mock indignation. “Limpy? If that was meant to wound me, you did a terrible job.” He said as he took her offered hand in assistance. The young woman had already decided that the night was going to be a fun one and she was not going to let Joker be left behind. The man deserved to be a part of that fun just as much as the rest of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane a Spectre and Annabeth didn't even get to be there? Rude!! Oh well, I guess they are just going to have to have a drink to make up for it. :)


	24. Chapter 24 (Jane)

Once the airlock door closed behind her sister, Jane let out a long-relieved sigh she hadn’t known she had been holding back until then. It had been a long day so far and even though they had finally convinced the Council that Saren was behind the attack she was almost overwhelmed by the responsibility that was now on her shoulders.

Hunting the rouge Spectre was going to take time and a whole lot of luck to pull off. The newly appointed Spectre wasn’t going to fool herself into thinking that this would be easy or quick, there was a reason that Saren was the longest living Spectre alive and had all the accommodations he had. If it wasn’t for everything that had happened She would almost look up to the Turian. He was clearly smart, talented, skilled and most of all good at his job even if he was a bit more ruthless then what Jane liked.

The moment that she had been tasked with hunting Saren the Council had sent her many files on their previous number one man and while the Spectre Requisitions Officer had hunted down some armor for Tali, Jane had read some of his files. It seemed that unless he was dealing with Human’s directly he was an outstanding Spectre; as she had looked over the information it now made sense to her why the Council was so against believing that the man had gone rouge. His life had been dedicated to saving the galaxy not destroying it.

“You all right, Shepard?” Wrex asked breaking her out of her thoughts.

“Humm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking of what we’re up against.” She replied as she sighed again before looking the Krogan in the eyes. “It’s going to be a long journey. I’m glad you decided to join us.” She smiled, happy that the Battlemaster would be their side during this fight. She had a feeling that they would need his strength in more ways than one. Since waking in the Med-bay earlier that morning the Commander had felt like something was off; she wasn’t quite sure what but it seemed that her sister had been acting strangely and she hoped that having Wrex with them would ease whatever was troubling her.

Grunting the old Battlemaster turned to the Human warrior with his own version of a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Shepard. You know that.” The glint of excitement in the old man’s eyes was hard to miss. Some days it was hard for Jane to see Wrex as more than a kid with how he acted when it came to these sorts of things and it was in these moments that she was reminded as to why Annie was the way she was when it came to battle.

It wasn’t long later when the two were joined by the rest of the crew who wanted to come celebrate. She had to admit that she was surprised that there were so many of them; it was no surprise that Annie, Ash, Kaidan and Wrex would be going them but Joker, Dr. Chakwas, Tali and Garrus were a bit of a shock. Not that she was upset, quite the opposite actually, she had been worried that the detective and Quarian would feel unwelcome but she had a feeling that Annie had something to do with it.

They waited a few more minutes to make sure that everyone that wanted to come was present before heading off in the direction of the nearest transit station. While Joker, Chakwas and Wrex piled into on cab, Jane, Kaidan and Ash took another making sure each cab would have one person that knew where they were going. Before they took off, however, Annie told the other two vehicles that she would be stopping at a liquor store since they didn’t have much at the apartment that their two Dextro friends could drink.

Acknowledging her sister, Jane and her sister’s adopted father headed to the apartment. It wasn’t far, only a twenty minute cab ride from their current location and while she drove the Commander decided that she would give the two marines a brief tour of what they could see from the cab. It was funny to watch as they pointed out different areas of interest; it had been a long time since Jane had brought someone knew on the Citadel and she had to admit, listening to the two marines talk gave her a new appreciation for the station.

It wasn’t long before the newly appointed Spectre exited the cab and headed over with the two marines in toe to meet the others. Landing his cab not too far away, Wrex exited before making his way over to them. Not wanting to leave anyone behind, Jane and the others waited while Chakwas assisted Joker out of the cab and it was then that she realised that Joker walked with a limp. Not that Jane was oblivious to the people around her but this was admittedly the first time she had really seen the pilot outside his chair in the cockpit and now it made sense. Making a mental note to ask Annie about it when she got back with the booze the Commander lead the group to the apartment.

Upon entering, Jane felt immediately at ease. With a quick look around the living area, which was covered in photographs, Jane couldn’t help but feel at home. The pictures showed so much of hers and Annie’s life since they had left Mindoir; some showed Annie and Wrex while they were still mercenaries together, others showed young Jane on Alliance ships with Anderson or some of the crews he served with, and others showed their life moving through the Alliance ranks. Most of the ones in the living room where from after the sisters reunited and their family became whole once again.

One of her favorites was of all of them together with Emily; the photo was ridiculous, Annie had somehow climbed up onto Wrex’s hump with Emily sat beside them laughing at the outlandish display while Jane and Kahlee where stuffing their faces full of cake as Anderson looked on with a slightly amused smile. It had been taken shortly after Jane had been promoted to Commander, all of them had gotten together to celebrate along with Emily’s sister, Susan, who was hidden behind the camera. The celebration had only been six months ago, just before Emily started to get sick; it was a bittersweet memory but one of her favorites.

As everyone shuffled in from the hall, the Commander noticed Ashley quickly hone in on the picture and it seemed on in particular caught her eye. “Is this you and Anderson?” She asked as she picked up the framed photograph that was sitting near the entry.

Smiling, Jane moved over to see which one had caught the Chief’s eyes. “Yeah, that’s us right after I finished N7. And that one beside it is when I graduated High school.” She informed the other woman as she looked fondly down at them.

“You’ve known the Captain that long?” Kaidan asked, handing her and Ash a drink. Apparently, he had found the liquor cabinet without much help, not that it was hard to spot, they did have it well-lit almost as if it was supposed to be a feature wall.

“Yeah,” Jane replied as she gave the Lieutenant a nod of thanks. “The Captain adopted me after the attack on Mindoir. If he hadn’t… well who knows where I would be.” She finished not really wanting to think about that possibility.

It was funny not more people knew about Anderson’s relationship to Jane; it was public knowledge that he had taken her in after Mindoir and when the news broke of her survival, that was the biggest news. Funny how people forgot that peace of information yet remembered almost everything else about her life. Unfortunately she wasn’t the only one in that boat; Annie was stuck in the same position except her files were more classified. The Alliance had decided to deem her background classified when she enlisted and they didn’t know if it was due to her father being Krogan or the fact that she was technically a mercenary before she joined but either way it didn’t matter. Annie would tell everyone who asked the truth, it was just the brass who didn’t want it getting out.

“Right... I think I remember hearing about that. I just wasn’t sure if it was true.” Joker responds as he ambles his way over to one of the stools by the island.

Jane smiled over at him not surprised by the response; a lot of people were of the same mind. “What about this one?” Ash asked pointing at one of the photos hanging above.

“Oh, that’s Wrex, Annie, Anderson and me. That was the day I met Wrex.” She answered looking over to the old Krogan who was happily pouring himself a big glass ryncol.

“Man, I knew you and the Lieutenant-Commander were close Commander but not  _ that _ close. I mean you share an apartment… and you have pet names…” Joker said poking fun at the situation.

“Ha ha. Your so funny Joker.” Annie’s sarcastic voice came from the door as she, Tali and Garrus entered the room.

Turning to face the newcomers, the pilot smiled wistfully. “What can I say? A guy can only dream.” Joker replied and everyone was able to pick up on his playful yet dirty joke. The room filled with a few giggles coming from the ladies, that is until a low growl could be heard from somewhere off to Jane’s right.

Turning she could see the scared Battlemaster leveling a glare so fierce that she was sure if looks could kill Joker would be six feet under by now. “It’s okay Wrex. He’s just kidding.” Jane comforted him by placing a hand on his arm. The last thing she needed right now was for Wrex to injure their pilot just before they set off on mission.

Rolling her eyes and scoffing at the scene in front of her, Annie moved towards the liquor cabinet. “Yeah, Dad and besides, I can take care of myself.” Annie added sending her own glare in her father’s direction. Yep, typical Annie letting everyone in the room know that she was the one in charge; if she could tame an overprotective Krogan then no one stood a chance. Smiling, the Commander just shook her head and tried not to laugh at the look now plastered on Joker's face.

“Dad! What!?” Joker exclaimed, looking back and forth between the massive Krogan and his tiny Human friend.

Losing all composure, her younger sister broke into a fit of giggles as she studied the poor pilot’s face. It was an amusing site that was for sure and looking around Jane could see that she wasn’t the only one. Both Alenko and Williams were chuckling off to one, the Doctor had a knowing smile on her face like she had been waiting for this moment to happen since she found out that the Krogan would be joining them and both Tali and Vakarian seemed slightly amused if she was reading their body language right.

Once she got herself back together and dumped the two bags she had been holding onto the table, Annie turned back to address the man. “Wrex adopted me when I was 14… it’s a long story.” She told him but Jane wasn’t paying attention to the conversation any more. No, her eyes were not on the year’s supply of booze that Annie, Tali and Garrus had just placed in front of them.

“Jeez, Annie! How much booze do you think we need?” Jane demanded as she started pulling out some of the bottles. They had a pretty good size collection of booze to begin with but now... Jane should have known better then to send Annie to get booze unsupervised.

Turning to face her commanding officer and older sister, Annie smiled sheepishly as if she regretted what she had done. But Jane knew better, she was really just trying to suck up by giving her puppy dog eyes.

Clearing his throat and looking slightly guilty, the Turian detective met Jane’s eyes and she could see that he was unsure of how to handle the situation. “Sorry, if we hadn’t stopped her she would have had bought more.” He told her as he moved to sit down in one of the several chairs. Jane didn't doubt that for a minute, Annie was always up for trying new things and new booze was one of her favorites. Sending her into a liquor store unsupervised is like sending a child into a candy store, same thing only much more expensive.

Giggling, Tali looked at her new Commander and said with no shame or regret, “Yeah this woman knows how to shop!”

“What can I say? It’s a gift.” The younger Shepard replied as she joined Tali in her laughter.

It wasn’t long after that when Annie started to pour more drinks for everyone. There was a brief discussion with their young Quarian friend but she assured them that entire she was old enough to drink. “I’m Twenty two for crying out loud.” She had grumbled as she grabbed the bottle of pre-sterilized booze and made her way over to the couch. Laughing, Jane nodded her head in quick apology before setting about to make sure everyone else had what they needed.

As she looked around, the newly appointed Spectre could see that everyone was content and already mingling with each other. In the kitchen Garrus, Wrex and Kaidan had started up a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of different types of weapons and weapon modifications causing a smile to spread across her face. When she had agreed to both men coming along, Jane had to admit that she was a bit nervous that one or the other would have a problem but it seemed that neither were bothered by the others presence which made her happy.

Looking to the living room she found Joker, Chakwas and Tali sitting and listening to Annie as she talked happily about what it was like having Wrex as a father. Talking about her childhood with Wrex was one of Annie’s favorite topics since it was so different from how most people in their life grew up. Growing up a mercenary you tended to live life a bit differently and definitely more dangerously but her sister had loved growing up that way since it prepared her more for the world she now lived in. When she had gotten old enough and he was sure she could handle herself, Wrex would take her on jobs so she always had a good story to tell and one normally would have a laugh about one or another.

Watching the interaction for a moment, Jane couldn’t help but smile as she heard Annie describe a job that the two had performed on Omega a few months before she left to join the Alliance when she realized that someone was missing. Doing a quick scan of the room she found the missing person in question stand by herself as she studied more of the photos that decorated the walls.

Walking over to join the tall, dark haired brunette, Jane noticed that Ash really wasn’t looking at the pictures anymore but through them. “Hey, Ash. Enjoying yourself?” Jane asked, causing the woman to jump slightly.

“Oh Skipper, I didn’t see you there” She exclaimed as a blush raced up her face. “Yeah, I’m fine just lost in thought I guess.” She finished as she turned away from the wall to face her Commander.

Giving the Gunnery Chief a quick study, Jane could tell that there was something on the woman’s mind; being the Commander that Jane was, she wanted her crew to feel free to talk to her about whatever was bothering them. “What it is, Chief? You look like you have something to say?” Jane pushed, hoping that Williams would open up.

One of the things that made Jane a favorite amongst most crew she had ever had was her open door policy. After several years of military service, the young Commander always found it strange when superior officers berated their subordinates for asking questions or raising concerns. How are you supposed to grow as a leader and a person if you don't allow communication? Jane always guessed that it was an ego thing, admitting that you potentially don't have all the answers or that you are above the problems of your crew; it’s stupid and idiotic in her mind so the door was always open with her as it was with Annie as well. Anderson was a big part of why she did it, Annie was naturally an open door kind of person but Jane had to learn it and she learned from him.

It seemed that the Chief was pondering what to say but eventually decided that what she had to say needed to be cleared from her head. “I was just thinking... If we bring Wrex, Garrus and Tali along… should they have access to the whole ship? I mean, the Normandy is the most advanced ship in the Alliance fleet. I don’t think they should have access to the major systems like weapons, engines and sensors.” She questions directly.

“You don’t trust our allies?” Jane asked in return, a little taken aback. She had to commend the woman for her directness but Jane wanted to sure that this was a matter of security clearance not xenophobia.

“I wouldn’t say that the Council races are our allies. We… humanity, that is… have to learn to rely on ourselves.” Ash answers and that makes Jane’s heart drop a bit.  _ So it is a problem of being non-human, _ Jane thinks as she repressed the sigh that wanted to escape following the woman’s words.

Studying the woman some more, the Commander decided to take a more direct approach to this problem. “Standing up for ourselves doesn’t mean standing alone, Williams. We need to trust that they have our backs when things get tight and besides… we aren't trusting the Council races, we are trusting three people who want to help us track down Saren.” She told the younger woman hoping that would be the end of that train of thought. The Commander also wanted to point out that Vakarian was technically the only one that could be considered under the Council races but she decided to deal with one thing at a time.

“I’m not saying we should turn down allies. I’m just think we shouldn’t bet on them staying allies. As noble as the Council members may seem now, if their backs are against the wall, they’ll abandon us.” Ash tried to justify. “Not that I’m thinking Wrex will turn on his daughter but… I just don’t trust that they won’t sell us out.” Jane could see the hesitation on the Chief’s face so she knew that she was going to have to try a different approach.

Looking around the room Jane’s eyes landed on her sister who was regaling Tali with another mercenary story of her past. As she watched her sister, she made up her mind and decided that Ashley deserved a little bit of the truth. “I’m not a very trusting person Ash.” She states before turning back to the woman in front of her. “I like to know a person fully before I put my full trust into them. I mean, I can like a person or trust them to cover my back in a fight, sure but trust… No… that takes a while.” She paused as she thought over how she wanted to continue. Sighing she looked Williams in the eyes and pushed forward. “Annie is the reason I trust anyone, she has some way of meeting someone and within five minutes can tell if they will stab us in the back or not. She always has and it’s kind of annoying but she has never been wrong to my knowledge.”

Understanding was shining through Ashley’s eyes as Jane confessed this piece of information and from where she was standing it looked as if the Gunnery Chief began to relax a bit. “You two sound like you have known each other your entire lives. Watching you fight is amazing; like watching to dancers move. You don’t even have to talk, you just do.” She replied with what sounded like awe in her voice. “I mean, if you trust her judgement that much I won't argue.”

Jane smiled as she saw the rest of the tension leave the other woman’s body. “I know that it is hard to understand. Hell, I don’t even understand Annie half the time but she knows what she is doing.” Shrugging and taking a sip of her drink before she continued. “And besides, The Turians help build the Normandy so we don’t have to worry about Garrus, The Krogan don’t really have a government per say so Wrex is good, even if he wasn’t invested to keep quiet otherwise and Tali... well... I think her having access to the engines would be a good thing. She seems like a good engineer and I'm guessing growing up on ships would mean she knows a thing or two. That and I doubt the Quarian people are really that interested in what the Alliance has to offer, no?” Jane asked and she could see that Ash was taking the time to actually think about it.

As the younger woman contemplated all the information Jane had just thrown at her, the Commander took another larger drag from her glass. The sweat burn of coke and rye ran down her throat warming her insides as she looked around the room once more, happy to see everyone enjoying themselves. She observed the heated discussion in the kitchen as Garrus and Wrex were debating whether shotguns or sniper rifles were the best gun and had to stop herself from bursting out laughing. It was an argument that the two sisters got into all the time and both parties always ended up agreeing to disagree.

The debate was just starting to heat up when Ashley cleared her throat, pulling the older woman from the show across the room.

“I understand what you’re saying, Commander. I didn’t realize that the Normandy was a joint venture and I apologize if I was out of line.” Williams said as she bowed her head a bit as a sign of respect.

“Not at all, Ash. I’m glad you told me how you felt and I want you to know that you can come to me for anything.” She said as she sent the brunette a sly grin. “Besides, the Normandy isn’t even technically an Alliance ship anymore. With me being in official command it’s a Spectre ship.” She winked as she turned to head back to join the others; from behind her she heard the Chief laugh with a quiet ‘touché’ as she followed Jane over to where Annie was stilling telling stories.

Not long after the debate in the kitchen must have come to an end as Garrus Wrex and Kaidan came a joined the rest of the group in the living room where the discussion had switched to their upcoming mission. It wasn’t too long of a discussion since Annie stood up five minutes in saying that the night was supposed to be about celebrating and not work to which everyone laughed and agreed to not talk about it for the rest of the night.

The topic switched back to past missions where everyone, except Tali, started to trade war stories and by far the best ones came from Wrex; being hundreds of years old seemed to help in that respect. As the stories continued and the group continued to drink they went from acts of amazing feats of heroism to hilariously embarrassing screw ups; mostly revolving around Annie since Wrex and Jane could team up on her but both knew that the young Shepard didn’t mind. It was bringing people together and that was really what the night was about.

The group kept this up until Tali started to fall asleep on Annie’s shoulder; it was only then that the group noticed the time. Sighing and saying their goodbyes, Annie retired to her room carrying a very drunk and sleepy Tali with her while Joker, Ash, Chakwas and Kaidan had headed back to the ship for some sleep. When they had left Jane turned around to find Wrex already passed out on the couch still holding a partially filled drink and Garrus who was already starting to help clean up.

Deciding not to argue with the help, the commander moved to the kitchen and started to collect the mess there. “Well that was quite a nice gathering. Thank you for the invitation, Shepard.” Garrus said as he tried to pick up some of the empty bottles around the sleeping Krogan without waking him.

Finding it slightly entertaining to watch the Turian tip-toe around the sleep form, it took all of Jane’s willpower not to burst into laughter. “You should be thanking Annie; she’s the one who put this on.” Jane replied as she sent him a warm smile.

“You know you don’t have to help me clean, right? It’s not a part of your duties.” She joked as she started whipping up the island countertop.

Turning to level his beautiful blue eyes at her, Jane could feel her stomach start to flutter. “I know I don’t have to help but I am.” He responded with a flare of his mandibles. Now, Jane wasn’t an expert in Turian facial features but if she wasn’t mistaken she would say that he was grin at her. “So… does Annie live here too?”

Shoving a hand to her mouth to stop her laughter from waking the others Jane shook her head at the detective. “Don’t ever call her Annie unless you’re ready for a fight. I am the only one who has ever been able to call her that and not have a black eye. Hell, Mom and Dad couldn’t even call her that.” She said casually as she continued to whip up the mess in the kitchen until she realised what she had let slip. Freezing in place for a fraction of a second before trying to continue to act normal all she could think about what how dumb she was.  _ What have I done! _ She thinks, hoping that Garrus wouldn’t notice.  _ Please if there are any Gods or Spirits let him not notice _ , Jane prays.

“Mom and Dad?” He questioned his subharmonic rumbling in confusion.  _ Of course he noticed, _ Jane thought as she mentally slapped herself over and over again. “I thought you met in the Alliance. Didn’t your family… Umm… you know pass during the raid on Mindoir?”

_ Damn it! _ “Well, Um… No, I mean yes!” Jane replied flustered as she dug herself into an even bigger hole. What was she supposed to say? Standing there she couldn’t believe she had just outed one of her families closely guarded secrets to someone she barely even knew. What kind of moron did that?

Apparently sensing her anxiety, the detective let the matter drop as they continued to clean. Grateful for the reprieve, Jane moved the conversation into safer water and asked the Turian his opinion of the crew that he had met so far. The conversation was pleasant and it wasn’t long before the apartment was clean everywhere but where Wrex lay which was fine by her. The Commander knew better than to wake the Krogan up just to collect some bottles; she could get them in the morning.

After a quick look around the room, Jane and Garrus made their way towards the door to say goodnight. For some reason Jane could feel knots forming in her stomach at the thought of sending Vakarian home but she wasn’t sure why. Why was this Turian having such an effect on her? “Thanks for the help, Garrus.”  She said as she pushed through the feelings that waring in her head. Looking up as she said it couldn’t help but stare into his blue eyes and imagine what it would be like to kiss the man.  _ Wait, what? Where had that come from? _

“Anytime Shepard.” His replied, his voice a bit deeper than she had heard it before.

Feeling her heart hammering in her chest and her cheeks flush the Spectre tried to come up with something to say. “Well,” She finally choked out before clearing her throat, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” He confirmed with a slight nod as he continued to look at her. Feeling her cheeks redden even more, she was the first to break eye contact; she could feel the stupid grin on her face spread even bigger before looking back up and nodding. Humming what seemed to be happily, Garrus gave her one last nod before heading out the door.

Watching him leave, Jane tried to pull herself back together; she couldn’t understand why he was having such an effect on her but she had to admit that she kind of liked it. Stepping forward, she locked the door as she felt the stupid smile spread even wider across her face. She was being ridiculous and she knew it but it still felt too good. Reveling in the moment, Jane allowed herself to follow the fantasy of kissing the Turian until she was rudely interrupted.

“Well… I see someone had more fun than she was expected.” Whirling around, she came face to face with her very entertained sister. Annie stood there with her arms crossed, hip cocked and a big stupid grin on her face.

“I hate you.” Jane replied as she moved past her sister making her way to her own bedroom.

Laughing Annie’s voice followed her down the hall. “No you love me, J. Love!” as she continued to giggle until the door to Jane’s room closed, cutting off the sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you feel about Jane handling Ash? I always found it weird that she was so concerned about the Council races when two out of the three weren't even apart of the Council. Nether had race had embassies and both Tali and Wrex had no say in their races government. I mean Tali is still technically not a full member of the fleet yet and Wrex is a merc who wasn't welcome on Tuchanka and Garrus flat out admits that he is a bad Turian so what was Ash really thinking in that aspect. Anyway I'm starting to rant so I'll stop the notes here! Hehe. I hope your enjoying this as much as I am writing it!!


	25. Chapter 25 (Annabeth)

The next morning came too soon in Annabeth’s opinion. Not only was she still tired from the night before but she hadn’t gotten the best sleep because anytime she tried to move it seemed that she would run into Tali. For such a small being she took up most of the bed which was quite impressive to say the least.

When it was finally time to wake up and get moving the Lieutenant-Commander practically had to push the Quarian off the bed before she began to stir. After several Quarian words were thrown her way Tali slowly started to come to life and when Annabeth handed over a sterilized cup of Kava the young woman nearly crushed the air right out of her lungs.

Laughing Annabeth left Tali to get ready while she and Jane ate a quick meal before they locked up and headed back for the ship. As they walked Jane moved into full Commander Mode as she furiously typed out commands on her Omni-tool while Annabeth drove the cab.

Twenty minutes later the three women touched down near the Normandy and the moment the thrusters were turned off Tali leap from the vehicle as fast as she could. Annabeth felt sorry for the Quarian since she had to bear witness to the two sisters bicker back and forth for most of the ride.

“Are you sure?” Jane asked for the fifth time and it took all of Annabeth’s composure not to throttle her.

“Yes,  _ Commander _ I’m sure.” She sighed as she turned to face her superior, hoping the fact that she had used her rank would make it clear. “It makes more sense that Pressly be your XO. I mean I will help him where I can but you and I both know that Pressly is the right choice. He knows how to do the job for one and even you thought he deserved to be the Executive Officer over you before the ship got turned over so stop being stubborn.” Annabeth explained yet again hoping beyond hope that she could see that this was the right call.

“You’re right, I know… It’s just I use you as more of a partner anyway so I thought it would make sense...” The Commander trailed off at the look her subordinate was giving her. Understanding dawned on the old woman’s face before she shook her head and cleared her throat. “I’ll inform Pressly once we are on board.” Jane states and her momentary lapse into sister disappeared as her practical Commander side pushed forward.

Once Jane nodded showing that she was ready to go the two sisters made their way on board. The decontamination cycle only took a minute before the two separated, heading off in the direction of their stations. Annabeth made her way down to the crew deck to catch the elevator that would take her down to her station on the lower level. When she arrived down in the Cargo Bay she could see that Vakarian had found a job since he was practically hidden underneath the Mako. Wrex had found a corner to himself by the workout gear where Annabeth knew he would more than likely spend most of his time but was really surprised and pleased her to see was Ash had also joined them at Annabeth’s station.

“You going to help me maintain the armory, Williams?” The Lieutenant-Commander asked the younger woman as she moved towards the weapons bench.

Jumping slightly as she turned to face her superior officer, Williams let off a quick salute. “Oh. Sorry ma’am… I… Umm… Yes, if you need me that is. When I came aboard I didn’t know where else to go. Maintaining weapons has always been one of my favorite jobs.” Ash replied quickly as she stumbled over her words.

Funny as it was, Annabeth had actually thinking about asking the Chief to help her out since the ground crew had grown so much. Normally it wasn’t a problem for one person but with as many specialists as they had it would be nice to have a second set of hands. Maintaining an armory for four or five ground crew by herself was no big deal, but with seven was a different story and that wasn’t even including the weapons and armor for everyone else on board. Every member of the crew had a standard set of armor and weapons that were to be maintained and it was Annabeth’s job to do just that but with this being a bigger ship with an even bigger crew, help was definitely a good thing.

Taking pity on the brunette, the biotic sent the woman a smile. “Don’t worry about, Ash. With a crew as big as we have, having another person helping me out will be welcome and drop the ma’am bullshit. Unless we are around the brass there is no need for it in my books.” Annabeth told her to which the taller woman smiled.

“Yes ma’am… I mean, of course Jackson.” Williams replied as she turned to continue taking apart what looked like Adam’s pistol.

Nodding, Annabeth set to work on Wrex’s shotgun but before long she remembered one other thing. “Oh… one other thing, I know most of the ground crew will have a weapon that they prefer to maintain themselves so if they come forward be respectful. Already I can tell you don’t even bother looking at either Vakarian or J’s sniper rifles since they are so specialized unless you are them you will do it wrong garneted. Snipers are picky that way. Also Wrex only trust me or himself with any of his weapons so don’t even bother and lastly no one and I mean on one is allowed anywhere near my pistol. You see someone even look at it and I want to know.” She said with the most serious voice that the Chief had ever heard her use.

Standing a bit straighter and giving off a mock salute and a quick, ‘yes, ma’am,’ Ash moved back to her work. The biotic could tell that Ashley caught on her little mock speech since she was trying to suppress her laugher but it wasn’t working. Of course the woman new not to mess with the sniper rifles since that is one of the first things you learn in basic, never fuck with a sniper's gun. It doesn’t matter if you yourself are a sniper, every single one likes different things had when it comes to shooting at great lengths, even the smallest of adjustments could be life or death.

The other information, like dealing with her and Wrex’s weapons would have been news but probably not a big shock since Annabeth’s pistol was in its own class and Wrex being a merc wouldn’t trust anyone.

The two fell into comfortable silence as they set to work on the mountain of weapons that needed to be checked over. With every crew member having a minimum of one weapon there was a lot of work to go through even though Annabeth had inspected them all before they left Earth not long ago, it still needed to be done.

As she worked, Annabeth could hear the ship preparing to leave so she wasn’t surprised when a few minutes later Jane’s voice came over the comm system. _‘This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won’t lie to you, crew. This mission isn’t going to be easy. This began with an attack on a human settlement in the Traverse but we know Saren won’t stop there. His Geth aren’t going to stay on the far fringes of Citadel space.”_ She paused letting her words sink in. _“Our enemy knows we’re coming. Wherever he searches for the Conduit, we’ll be there. We will hunt him to the very ends of the galaxy and bring him down. Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all… we will stop him!’_ The comm cut out with that final comment leaving the Cargo bay in silence.

“Well,” Annabeth said in a voice that carried through the quiet of the large space, “that was dramatic.” At that statement Ash burst into a fit of laughter alongside both Wrex and Garrus.

\--

The Normandy left port twenty minutes later and now underway; Jane had set course for the Artemis Tau relay in hopes that they could find one Dr. T'Soni. While the two sisters had eaten breakfast they had decided the best course of action would be to head for the Sparta cluster first and if the Doc wasn’t there they would move to the Macedon cluster then Macedon and so on and so forth. The ETA to the Sparta system was ten Alliance standard hours and with Williams’ help, Annabeth was able to take stock of what they had on hand.

They had plenty of ammo and armor upgrades already which wasn’t too big of a surprise since they had only had one mission since their maiden voyage and restocked some on the Citadel with the use of Jane’s new status. The two women worked side by side in content silence as they looked over everything and the hazel-eyed woman did the best she could to not think about the past mission. She wasn’t yet ready to let the walls come down that she had built since finding Nihlus’s body on the dock and she wasn’t sure she would be able to hide her emotions from both Wrex and her sister; both had too much on their minds and Annabeth the Lieutenant-Commander didn’t want to add to their burdens so she worked. She worked and pretended that she wasn’t in pain because they couldn’t afford the distraction.

It was a few hours later when the two women had finished their weapons check and Annabeth decided that now was as good of time as any to grab some food. Nodding to the other woman, the young L-C headed up to the mess to grab some grub. The vessel didn’t have a full kitchen which was ridiculous in Annabeth’s opinion but it did have a small microwave, stove top and crock pot for when the crew wanted to have something other than MRE’s. Deciding that she would need to start off with something ease and not quite as tasteless as MRE’s Jackson heated up a plate of thawed perogies; finding the pre-made European dish on the Citadel was a win since most human foods still had yet to make an impact on the greater galaxy; normally if you wanted good Human food you were making it from scratch.

As she heated up her food and avoided thinking about a particular Turian that was no longer with them Annabeth decided it was time that she got to know the other Turian that seemed to have found his way onto the ship. When it was decided that they would bring not only Wrex but Tali and Garrus with them on this run, the Lieutenant-Commander took it upon herself to research her new crew members. Well, Tali and Garrus anyway since she already knew her father’s qualifications. It didn’t come to a surprise to her to learn that there wasn’t much information on the young Quarian other than when she had arrived on the Citadel. Quarians were rare to see outside of the fleet and if this was the young woman’s first time away it wasn’t shocking that she couldn’t find much.

The Turian, however, was quite easy to find information on; he entered military service at the age of fifteen like most Turians and after basic moved to the Turian Urban Forces, Hastatim, where his records became super classified but told of his superior skills with sniper rifle. With the decision made, Annabeth grabbed her plate and made her way back down to the cargo bay.

When she arrived, all she could see of the former detective were his feet sticking out from underneath the Mako. “Hey!” She said as she made her approach to sit beside him. She didn’t want to accidentally startle him and cause him to mess up what he was working on even though she had no idea what would need work already; they hadn't even used the damned machine yet.

“Hello. Is there something you need?” He asked and Annabeth was sure she could head tools being moved around.

“Nothing important just came to chat is all. While I was up in the mess realized that you are the only person on the crew who I haven’t really had a chance to talk too.” Annabeth replied as she shoved a perogy into her mouth. “I mean…” She continued after swallowing. “Wrex is my dad so I know him, I have talked with all the Alliance personal before with left Earth, I got to know Ash a bit on our way to the Citadel form Eden Prime. And hell, Tali slept in my bed last night but you… Nothing. So, tell me something.” She finished shoveling another delicious pierogi into her mouth.

Pulling himself out from under the Mako, Garrus stood to have a look at the readings on the terminal that was hooked up to the tank like machine. “Like what?” He asked sounding slightly concerned.

“Oh, I don’t know… tell me whatever you want. Where you grew up? Why you joined C-Sec? Why you seemed so mad about Saren? Why do Turians have tatts? Whatever you feel comfortable with.” Annabeth replied with a shrug.

Pausing in his work, the gray-plated Turian turned to her as if to study her. “You’re not going to leave until I talk, are you?”

Smiling, Annabeth picked up another perogy with her fork and pointed it at him, “Nope,” she replied before popping it in her mouth. As she chewed she started up at the male trying to stare him down which was quite a strange experience since she was the one on the floor and had crane her neck to meet his eyes. It didn’t take long before the Turian sighed, turned back around and begin to talk.

For the next few hours, Garrus continued to work on the Mako while he explained Turian markings and why they existed; he explained that how the colour and shape of every marking explained not only where they were from but what clan they were apart of and what they had achieved. The history of markings was fascinating to say the least but very complicated but Annabeth drank it all up. It was interesting to learn but she knew that she only barely understood their importance.

Eventually the conversation moved along and the blue-eyed male explained why he had left Hastatim and joined C-Sec; he continued on, talking of some of the crazy people he had brought in during his time and in the end relieving why he chose to leave. As he talked he never did mention why he wanted to bring Saren down but she didn't push, she knew that if she pushed too hard that he would shut down the conversation and that would be unacceptable. Mind made up that she wouldn’t ask again, Annabeth let him keep the conversation on past missions and cases. If talking about C-Sec or his time in the military made him more comfortable then that’s what they would talk about.

They had been talking for quite a while when Ashley called to her. The detective had been telling her about a big drug bust had been investigating when the interruption came and Annabeth had to hide her disappointment. She liked talking with Garrus, his stories where fun to listen to and always filled with entertaining remarks but she knew that it was time to get back to work. Smiling, the weapons expert gave him a pat on the leg before standing and heading back over to her work area; before she got too far she told him that they would have to finish their conversation another time. Returning her smile Garrus agreed before disappearing back underneath the Mako.

\--

Before the Normandy was able to leave the Sparta system, Joker radioed overhead that they were picking up a distress signal from one of the nearby planets. Without hesitation, Jane ordered Joker to find the location of the signal so they could send down a rescue party.

Finding the source of the beacon only took a few minutes and when it was confirmed Jane ordered Annabeth, Garrus and Wrex to suit up. It wasn’t surprising that the new Spectre wanted to test out the new recruits and since she had never worked with either male before. Wrex was an unknown for Jane when it came to field work and Annabeth was sure she was going to use this drop as a test to see if he would stay in line. Vakarian on the other hand was a new addition that neither sister knew enough about and a simple mission like this would be a good way to see what he was made of. Yes both women had read his file and he seemed a capable soldier but one could never be too careful.

The team of four get ready quickly before they piled into the Mako. Much to the Lieutenant-Commanders chagrin, Jane took the driver’s seat, Garrus had the main gun, and Wrex the launcher leaving her was on diagnostics. Not that the woman disliked diagnostics but she would have much rathered one of guns, or better yet, have Jane relinquish the wheel.

“Hey Jane, are you sure I can’t drive?” The younger sister asked, hoping that this would be the time the other woman would finally allow her to drive.

“No, I got it.” Was all she said in reply and Annabeth had to stop herself from cringing just at those four simple words. Annabeth loved her sister, she did, but just the thought of having to deal with her driving was enough to make her want to fake being sick.

\--

After the Mako hit the ground, Jane informed the team that the distress call was coming from, what she expected to be, a group of Alliance soldiers. While they were in route to the system, one Admiral Kahoku had contacted them asking if they could investigate his missing marines at their last know coordinates for him. Apparently, he had hit a wall with the Alliance brass and since Jane was a Spectre he had contacted her to which the woman readily agreed to help. It came to no surprise to the younger sister that Jane would offer to help; Jane wouldn’t be herself if she denied helping someone in need.

As they set off in the direction of the distress beacon, Garrus and Wrex got to experience the Shepard driving extravaganza for the first time and Annabeth had a front row seat to the show. It was amusing to watch the looks of utter horror that passed over Vakarian’s face as well of the small signs of discomfort that showed in Wrex’s eyes when ever Jane took them over a particularly steep drop. At one point, both men turned to glare at her and Annabeth could tell they were thinking ‘you knew about this.’ Which cause Annabeth to laugh as she tried to keep an eye on the radar but she couldn’t help it. She knew it was mean but the looks on their faces were priceless.

“What’s so funny back there?” The Commander asked over her shoulder and the hazel-eyed Lieutenant-Commander snapped back into her work.

“Nothing, Shepard… Just got lost in a train of thought is all.” Annabeth replied as she tried to recompose herself.

Seemingly unconvinced, the red-head opened her mouth to reply when they crested the next hill showing the horrors that awaited them. Slowing as they made their approach, Annabeth could make out what looked like a Grizzly ground vehicle had been tossed onto its roof with what looked like bodies scattered around the area. Hazel-eyes swept the area and could see the beacon not far from where the marines now lay but there was something about the area that was putting her on edge but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Looking over to her father it seemed like he too was troubled by what he was seeing but had yet to speak.

From beside her, the ex-detective’s voice penetrated the silence, asking what could have happened when the ground started to vibrate and the sensors blared out in warning. In that moment everything clicked into place, Wrex reached over and pulled the wheel hard just barely avoiding the thresher maw that had appeared where they would have been not a second later.

Taking back control of the wheel, the Commander drove in evasive maneuvers as the blue-eyed Turian fired the main gun leaving the battle hardened Krogan to use the rocket launcher whenever the beast showed itself. Frustrated that all she could do was watch the over the Mako’s shields, Annabeth tried to think of what she could do to help but came up short. She felt useless and when she felt useless that was generally when she did something stupid. With all logical things being taken care of it didn't take long for that moment of stupidity to come the Lieutenant-Commander had a crazy idea invade her mind and since she was feeling useless, she acted on it quickly moving to pop the hatch.

“What was that!?” Jane yelled, to busy driving like a mad woman to look back.

As calmly as possible, Annabeth answered her sister as if nothing was amiss. “Just the hatch.”

“The Hatch!?” Calm the slightly panicked response as the Maw slithered its way back into the ground. “Should I go back and one of us try and get it?”

“FIDO” Annabeth replied as the vehicle served hard to the left almost knocking her into the Turian sitting beside her. Mumbling a quick, ‘sorry’ the young woman when back to her task. Moving to be directly below the opening in the roof she started to charge a heavy warp blast. She knew that she would have only one shot at this so she knew it would have to count. The moment she felt she had a good charge, she stood, popping her head out of the hole in the roof ready to unleash the dark energy she had built up.

“What the hell are you doing!?” Came a duel flanged voice from below. Moving her arm in the direction to releases her warp she felt a hand grab onto her body, anchoring her to the vehicle.

Annabeth watched with awe as the massive warp field hit the beast at the same time as a rocket hit it square in the face. It was the final blow as the massive creature swayed to and fro before it collapsed on the ground, unmoving.

Satisfied that the thing wasn’t going to get back up Annabeth moved herself back into the safety of the vehicle. The moment Vakarian was sure she was safely in the Mako he released his hold on her and informed Jane that the crazy woman was again in the vehicle. The Commanded, not wasting any time, brought the Mako to a stop and turned in her seat to level her sister with a look so fierce a lesser person would have cowered.

“Never do that again!” Jane said and Annabeth could hear the mix of angry Commander as well as concerned sister in her tone. Beside the fiery red-head, the Krogan Battlemaster growled his own disapproval and it was made clear that he was fighting between being pissed or proud.

Giving the Mako a quick sweep of her eyes, the L-C could tell that no one was happy with her creative thinking and knew that she would have to do some damage control later. For now though she would have to get everyone back on track.

“That’s fair, Shepard.” She conceded with a sharp nod trying to keep it professional, “but hey, it worked.” The younger sister said with an innocent smile playing across her scared face. She knew that it was a dumb idea but hell, that was one amazing adrenaline rush if she ever felt one.

The Mako got quite as an awkward silence filled the cab. Annabeth had been trying to play off the situation as she normally did but with both her sister and father glaring at her it was hard to maintain that upbeat attitude. Thankfully, Garrus came to the rescue as he looked at her a moment longer as if reassessing her before asking “FIDO? What does that mean?”

The tension that had been built up burst as Jane looks at the Turian and then broke out into laughter. “FIDO stands for, Fuck it, Drive on. It’s Human military code similar to FUBAR which is Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. It’s a quick hand if you will.” She explained to the two non-humans who seemed to find the acronyms to be ridiculous if their combined chuckles were anything to go by.

Turning back around in her seat, Shepard drove over to where the hatch had landed, motioning for Annabeth to get out and pick up the damn thing up before making their way back to the other assault vehicle. They all knew it wasn’t likely but the team climbed out the Mako to check for survivors.

The sweep found nothing which was expected but still disheartening all the same. While the Commander called for the Normandy to pick them up, the second in command moved over to the beacon to disable the signal but when she got there she found out something that had her face turning red in anger. It had been a trap! The Admiral’s men went missing after this beacon had been activated and if the reports were true than someone purposely led these men to their deaths. Kahoku would not be pleased when he found out that his men had been lured into a trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always found that the speech Shepard give at the beginning of the mission to be over dramatic so I thought I would have a little fun with it. I loved writing this chapter! Annabeth is fun to write and it was too much fun to have Annabeth do something crazy while in battle. I mean when you play Shepard in the game you can leave your group behind if you want and do dumb things but my thought is if people are going to follow someone they would have to be a good leader who doesn't do to dumb of moves. This way it allows Annabeth to do the dumb things and still have people respect both Annabeth and Shepard.


	26. Chapter 26 (Jane)

Sighing inwardly, Jane gave her XO an irritated look as she tried to keep her voice as calm and even as possible. “We’re all on the same team here, Pressly.” Even though they had been on mission for a few days now, it seemed that not everyone had moved past the fact that, yes there are aliens on the ship and yes, they are staying.

“With all due respect, ma’am, that’s what they said about Nihlus. Look how that turned out.” Pressly retorts, clearly not getting the picture yet.

_ Okay _ , Jane thought,  _ let’s try something else _ . “First of all Pressly what happened to Nihlus was an unfortunate incident that could have happened to anyone, not just Turian. Humans have been betraying each other for thousands of years so that argument will lead you nowhere. Now speak freely, Pressly. I want to know if you have a problem with non-humans.” She asked, needing to know if her second in command would cause trouble.

The older man looked slightly embarrassed that his CO had to remind him that humans weren’t as awesome as some humans liked to think. “It’s not that, Commander. Humanity has always handled its own problems. Saren attacked one of our colonies. We should be the ones to stop him. We don’t need their help.” Pressly replied once he regained his composure.

_ Ah, I see where this is going, _ the red-head thought and decided to approach the situation a bit differently than what she originally thought she would need. The man wasn’t really being xenophobic but an old fashion stubborn man. He had the ‘I don’t need to stop for directions’ stubbornness that was just being applied to a different situation.

“Some people think that asking for help is a sign of weakness.” The Commander replied in a tone that said she really disagreed with that type of mentality, “that’s just being stupid and stubborn. No matter how strong you are allies can make you stronger.” The woman knew that her tone was quite harsh but that’s how she felt and since she had told the navigation officer to speak freely so she thought she should as well.

Thinking on what she had said, Jane could see the brown-eyed man’s gears turning before he replied, “I guess so. Maybe I’m just stuck in the old ways of thinking. Don’t worry, Commander. This won’t be a problem.” The man assured her, which was a relief to her. Having been in the service for as long as he had, Jane trusted the older officer when he said it wouldn’t be a problem.

"Good. I would hate to have to tell Jackson she has to kick her Father off the ship. However, that would be highly entertaining to see." Jane mused.

As she pictured the humors situation, Shepard could hear Pressly nearly choked on the air he quickly sucked into his lungs. "Father!? Kick her Father off the ship?" He asked clearly trying to digest this new piece of information.

It was funny, her sister’s adopted father had been a part of the crew for almost a week now and that was one piece of gossip, that was actually true, that had yet to spread like wildfire. Scuttlebutt could be a strange thing but since Joker knew the juicy information she assumed that it would have been one of the first to be spread but apparently not.

It always took her off guard when people found out about her sister’s father; every time it happened, Shepard had to remind herself that Annie’s file was more classified than most because the Alliance brass didn’t want it getting out that one of their most valued assets used to be a mercenary. Before she joined the Alliance her younger sister used to work closely with Wrex and some of the things they did were not necessarily something you wanted just anybody to know. You had to be a very high ranking Admiral to even get the slights peek into her file let alone a look at her pre-Alliance history.

"Yes, Father. You know, the Krogan down in the Cargo hold. Stands about this tall, wears red armor and had an almost permanent scowl on his face." Jane replied as she used her hands to make gestures to show approximately how large the mountainous Krogan was.

"Oh, well... like I said this won't be a problem, Commander." Pressly stammered as his face paled slightly. Trying hard not to laugh at the pour man, Jane just smiled before excusing herself allowing Pressly time to process the news.

Turning and the woman headed in the direction of the bridge; she wanted an update on the search for the Asari Doctor and while she was at it decided it was about time she got to know her helmsman a little better. They two really hadn’t had time to talk casually since the party and she had yet to talk to him one on one and thought now was as good of time as any.

“Hey, Commander.” The pilot greeted her as she walked up. Standing of to the man’s left, Jane watched as his hands danced across the holographic displaces and couldn’t help but be mesmerised by is work. Having served on plenty of ship before she had seen helmsman at work before but none had seemed to have the practiced easy that this Fight Lieutenant was showing here and now, which was impressive since they weren’t even in combat.

“Joker, how is everything up here?” She asked, moving her gaze to the view or the solar system they were currently in.

Moving his hands across the screens, the bearded man brought up the readings for the planets they had already searched. “Good so far but still have yet to find any signs of any Prothean ruins or Dr. T’Soni.” Joker informed her as he pointed at out the readings.

Nodding to him, Jane hid her disappointment at the news. Not that she was upset with Joker but more at the fact that they were running out of places to look for the Asari. They only had one system left to search and she knew enough about the system to know none of the worlds were hospitable, that’s why she left it for last. Of course, finding the Doc on a nice garden world would have been too much to ask for.

Shaking off the feeling of foreboding, the Commander turned back to the other reason she had come up to the bridge, to get to know the man flying her ship. “Joker, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? I like to get to know my crew and I have yet to get a moment to talk to you.” Jane asked, giving the pilot a warm smile.

Apparently, Joker didn’t see the smile because the moment he started talking the woman could hear the defensiveness in his voice. “I can see where this is going. You did a background check on me, didn’t you?” He said giving her a hard look as he continued. “Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I told the Captain. You want me as your pilot. I’m not good. I’m not even great. I’m the best damn helmsman in the Alliance fleet! Top of my class in flight school? I earned that. All those commendations in my file? I earned every single one. Those weren’t given to me as charity for my disease.” The man ranted glaring hard out the window in front of them.

“I’m sorry, Joker. I didn’t even know you were sick.” Was all Jane could think of to say as she looked down slightly ashamed at herself. When they had gotten together at the apartment, Jane had noticed the man needed help getting up and that he walked with a limp but she didn’t realize that it was because he had a disease; she had thought that maybe he had injured himself at some point but even if she had known about it, she would not have questioned his ability as a pilot. Now she was wishing she had asked Annie about it back at during the party.

“You mean… You mean you didn’t know? Ah, crap.” The man said turning to look back at her. Meeting his eye for a moment she could see that he was little embarrassed about his outburst at his Commanding Officer but Jane didn’t say anything; she just asked the man to continue, which he did. Moreau went on to explain that he had a disease called Vrolik’s Syndrome, which apparently caused his bones to be brittle allowing for them to be easily broken if he wasn’t careful. He did admitted that he would be no good in a fight but when in the pilot’s seat there was no one that could match his skills.

Understanding why the man got so defensive, the redhead reassured him the best she could. “It’s okay Joker. I trust Anderson’s choice and you have done your job well so far, so don’t worry about it.” She gave the man a comforting smile to show that she wasn’t as judgemental as some when it came to certain situations. Jane knew many of others in her position would have the man removed immediately not want to deal with the responsibility of a man that wouldn’t be able to defend himself when boarded but she also knew that a good pilot wouldn’t allow for them to be boarded in the first place. And if Anderson trusted that the man could do the job who was she to judge.

“Oh. Well thanks, Commander.” Joker replied a little surprised but she could see the relief that swept through his body. The tension released from his shoulders and the he seemed to relax back into his chair which she was happy about. She didn’t want to put her crew in a situation where they felt uncomfortable around her.

Deciding that she couldn’t leave with the conversation so heavy she moved on to a lighter subject. “So, why do people call you Joker?” Jane asked curiously. Ever since she had found out his nickname she couldn’t help but wonder why the name.

“It’s a lot shorter then saying Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. Plus, I love to make little children laugh.” He replied sarcastically.

Looking back towards him, the Commander raised her right eyebrow at him. “Really?” She asked doubting that very much.

“Look, I didn’t pick the name.” He sighed, exasperatedly. “One of the instructors in fight school used to bug me about never smiling. She started calling me Joker, and it stuck.” He tells her and Jane couldn’t help but ask. “Why didn’t you smile?”

“Hey, I worked my ass off in flight school, Commander. The world’s not going to hand you anything if you go around grinning like an idiot. By the end of the year, I was the best pilot in the Academy. Even better than the instructors. And everybody knew it. They’d all got their asses kicked by the sickly kid with the creaky little legs. One guess who was smiling at graduation.” He told her and she could hear the bit of smugness in his voice causing her to chuckle.

“Well, Joker. If you’re as good of pilot as you say you are, we aren’t going to have any problems finding Saren.” She replied giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

“Damn right, Commander!” Smiles in return before she turned around and headed back off towards the stairs. After that conversation the Spectre decided she like the man, he had a darker look on the universe then most but she liked it, he was a realist.

Now that her talk with Joker was over, the twenty-nine year-old decided that it was time to go have a quick ‘chat’ with her sister about the events that when down planetside. The conversation would be more of a dress down then a chat but it was something that needed to happen and happen soon so the rest of the crew didn’t get any ideas. Jane knew that her sister had already gotten a talking to from Wrex since it started the moment they had exited the Mako but it was time for the Commander and Spectre to dress down the insubordinate behaviour of one of her crew. It wasn’t something that she enjoyed but it was something that had to be done.

Making her way down to the cargo bay was slow going for Jane but their wasn’t really much that she could do about it unless she took the ship ladders that were installed encase of an emergency and being the ships CO meant that you had to lead by example. The cargo bay was her destination because she knew that Annie would be hard at work maintaining the ship’s crew armor and weapons. What was a surprise, however, was finding that Ashley seemed to be helping the stubborn L-C. Normally, Annie liked to run the armory herself but seeing the Gunnery Chief there with her spoke volumes to how much the young Shepard trusted the Chief.

Taking a moment to smile at the sight before putting on her Commander mask, Jane walked over to the two women as she thought of what she was going to say. “Jackson. Can I have a word?” She asked in a tone that left no room for discussion.

Looking up from their work, both younger women looked as if their mother had just caught them doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing.  _ Good _ , she thought, happy to see that her crew still respected her command even if she ran things a bit more casual than most CO’s. “Of course, Shepard.” Annie replied as put down what looked like the firing mechanism for her shotgun.

As she made her way around the table Ash looked over to where the redhead was waiting, “Why is it that you two never call each other by your given names? I mean, when we’re off duty you used each other’s first names but with everyone else it doesn’t seem to matter.”

“Early in our career we had some that told us we were to friendly towards each other while on duty, even though we treated everyone else the same. We have suspected that people thought we were fraternizing and that was why our superiors, excluding Anderson, pushed us to be more professional around each other. Some said it looked like we are showing favoritism towards one another when really we treat everyone the same.” Annie informed the brown-eyed woman.

It was partially true but the other reason being they didn’t want anyone looking to closely at their relationship. The brass already knew about Jane and Anderson’s relationship and they were fine with it because over time the two had proven that they could separate personal and private lives but with Annie things were different. If they found out now that Annabeth Jackson was really Annabeth Shepard they would have bigger problems than siblings working together or even a couple. They would more than likely be court marshalled.

After giving the younger Shepard’s words some thought, Williams seemed to understand where they got that impression from. “Well Skipper, everyone here doesn’t really care that you to know each other that well and to be honest whoever thought that you two were romantically involved was an idiot. You two seem more like BFF’s or sisters than a couple. Also, you two have the background to backup your close relationship so… All I’m saying is… you don’t need to do… whatever this is.” She finished with a flourish of her hand before turning back to work.

Smiling, the two sisters acknowledged other woman’s words with a chuckle before moving off to the side and hopefully out of everyone’s hearing range.

“I know Wrex already chewed you out about stupid that stunt you pulled was so I’m going to skip the formal reprimand and instead ask, what  _ heck _ happened down there?” The Spectre asked as she forced every fiber of her being to stand still and not reach out to strangle her sister. Proper procedure dictated that Jane at least give the hazel-eyed woman a lecture and the sister in her wanted to shake her for doing something so dumb but she couldn’t. Instead all she wanted to do right now was make sure her baby sister was alright. 

Looking down at her feet, Jane could see that there was something weighing heavily on her sister but for some reason the other woman wasn’t opening up. “I don’t know… It just sort of happened. You know me, I tend to do crazy things. Most of the time they work out fine.” She replied and instantly Shepard could see her sister putting up walls to shut her out.

It was strange. Normally the two shared everything but right now it looked like something was bother the young Shepard but she didn’t want to talk about it. It was the same reaction that appeared whenever the topic of her time of the slaver ship got brought up and that concerned her.

Deciding that would have to be a conversation for another time, Jane had to force her sisterly side down and become the commanding officer of the ship. Well, at least try anyway. “Annie! Most of the time, I’m there to back you up and you don't endanger everyone on the team. What would have happened if you had gotten knocked out of the Mako? Hm? What would have happened if the Maw had hit the Mako with it’s acid?” The Commander asked in an unhappy tone.

“I’m Sorry, J. Really…” Annie was still looking down at her feet and Jane could tell that the younger woman knew that what she had done was reckless and unacceptable. Satisfied with that answer, the Commander replied with a quick, “Good” as she relaxed in her stiff posture. Before anything else could be said, however, Jackson suddenly looked up with a stupid grin on her face. “I think this is my new number one on my, Craziest Thing I’ve Done, list.”

That caused Jane to lose her Commander persona, laughing darkly at the images of her sister’s crazy stunts over the years, “Yeah. This definitely was worse then charging into a squad of angry Batarians all by yourself.” She huffed, knowing Jackson was trying to change the subject to help get out of trouble but she couldn't help but follow the other woman’s lead.

Smiling, Annie looked at her with a sly, mischievous look in her eyes, “So, you forgive me?”

Sighing exasperatedly, Shepard shook her head before replying. “Of course I forgive you but next time, well… don’t let there be a next time. Deal?” She finally said, extending her hand even though she knew that the other woman would in fact do something similar to that again, it was just a matter of when.

“Deal.” Smiling, the sister’s shake hands before Annabeth continued, “Next time I think I’ll hop out and take it on foot. It would make Dad mad and proud at the same time.” She grins evilly and all Jane could do was sigh and rolls her eyes before shoving her sister as she walked away. Leave it to Annie to try and make something as dangerous as taking on a thresher maw sound like a fun time; outside of Krogan, of course.

After her conversation with her sister, Jane made the rounds making sure everyone was settling in comfortably and made sure that their non-human guests were being treated with respect. The Spectre had a good chat with her adopted second father, mostly talking about how they could try and tame Annabeth’s fighting style even though both knew it was hopeless. Then she moved on heading into engineering to talk with Tali and Engineer Adams.

Talking with the young Quarian had been interesting conversation since the Commander had never really had the opportunity to talk with a Quarian before. She found the species fascinating, from their history to their culture and Jane was impressed with how they had managed to persevere after everything that had happened between them and the Geth. Moving around in ships all the time couldn’t be easy and even though Jane herself had either been on ships or the Citadel ever since she had left Mindoir she still had planets that she would consider home.

After her long talk with Tali, the Spectre made her way over to the Mako where she found their new resident Turian working away; smiling at the thought of him having something to do while not on mission. When she approached, he paused in his work to thank her once again for bringing him along and Jane couldn’t help but smile. Even though she had only known the male for a short while, Jane liked Garrus. He was smart, creative, kind of funny and a hell of a marksman and even though he seemed a bit naïve when it came to what a Spectre could do versus what they should do he seemed honorable. For some reason she had a feeling that when it came down too it, Garrus would do the right thing when the opportunity presented itself.

Soon after the redhead made her way back up to the CIC to see how the scanning was going when Joker’s voice sounded over the comm system.  _ ‘Commander, we have searched the entire system and there are no signs of Prothean ruins or Dr. T’soni. Shall I head to the Knossos system?’ _

Sighing in resignation, Jane looked up at the camera beside the comm, “Affirmative. It’s the last system we have to check.” She replied even though she wasn’t really happy about it. They still had no idea if this Doctor was friend or foe and the idea of either being on a planet that was freezing cold or melting hot was not her idea of a good time.

‘ _ Aye, Aye Commander. Setting course now. ETA 12 hours. _ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I have no idea how long it would actually take to get between places so I'm making it up as I go so I'm sorry if there are some discrepancies. :) This was another fun chapter to write, mostly due to Pressly's reaction to Wrex being Annabeth's father! Priceless!


	27. Chapter 27 (Annabeth)

‘ _ Wrex, Vakarian, Jackson, suit up. Joker thinks he pinned down Dr. T’Soni’s location. ETA to drop point 20 minutes _ .’ Jane’s commanding voice boomed out from the ships comm system.

Getting up from the weapons bench, Annabeth moved over to her locker to suit up and grab her gear. She had been working on her shotgun when the call came so while she got suited, the Lieutenant-Commander called for the Chief to resemble it for her which the other women did enthusiastically since she had been studying the weapon from across the beach since Annabeth started cleaning it. It was a good gun, an Armageddon IX with a few special upgrades that weren’t available to any other  _ Kassa Fabrication _ customers; being a majority shareholder in the company did have its perks.

It didn’t take long for Jane to join the rest of the team to collect her weapons, with her locker being up on the crew deck she was already changed into her armor. It didn’t take long for both her father and Garrus to get ready since they had already had their armor on; all they had to do was grab their weapons unlike the two humans. The two non-humans stood waiting by the Mako deep in conversation about god knows what leaving both Alliance officers alone; leaving this the perfect opportunity for Annabeth to confront her sister.

“Hey, Jane?” She asked as she reached across the weapons bench to grab the shotgun Ash had put back together for her.

Not bothering to look up as she checked over her rifle, the Commander gave off a fleeting, “yeah?”

Smiling, Annabeth continues with her idea knowing it would cause the other woman to look up from her duties. “Just so you know, I had a nice talk with our Turian friend before our last mission and I thought I would tell you that I like him.” The L-C said as she looked over her own guns. Now that she had started to speak the younger Shepard could feel her sister’s eyes on her. “He seems nice, however a little naive but I think with the right womanly guidance he would be a… nice partner for you… In whatever capacity you see fit, I mean.” She finished as she finally looked up to meet her sister’s gaze. The younger woman didn’t want to sound like she was trying to set the two up but she wanted Jane to know that if she liked Garrus then Annabeth approved and thought it was a good idea to proceed.

Cheek reddening, Jane looked around to confirm no one else could hear them before turning back to meet Annabeth’s hazel eyes. “Is it that obvious?”

Snorting, the brunette couldn’t help but think,  _ duh, _ but knew that wasn’t the answer she was looking for. “To me yes. To others… probably not. Remember I have been there for a lot of your past relationships so I know what and who you like even if I haven’t liked any of them since John.”

There was a slight flinch at the mention of her old love but Annabeth didn’t feel bad, both women had coped with the past daemons of Mindoir and even go back to visit on occasion. However, when it came to actual relationships with men, both were walking disasters. Jane got into relationships that would never work while Annabeth rarely stayed with the same man for more than a shore leave. It was a problem both were working on correcting but the younger of the Shepard’s knew that Jane was getting tired of the fuckboy and douchebags, she wanted someone to actually love and Annabeth believed that Garrus could be that man; if she would let it.

Looking over to where the Turian was standing, a small smile started to pay across the Spectre’s face and it was then that the N7 operative got it right. “Okay… Please don’t say anything. I really don’t care about people finding out it’s just… I just know Wrex will have a field day and I would hate to have to kill your Father because he was being a dick.” Jane said with a bit of a chuckle and Annabeth was quick to join. She loved her Wrex but some days he could be a handful and there had been days when she was younger and still working with him when she wanted to kill him for how he reacted when she was trying to date. But she couldn’t fault him too much, he was her dad after all and he just wanted the best for her.

\--

Therum was a hot gross planet covered in lava and hardened magma fields and Annabeth was very sure that whoever this Dr. T’soni was they were crazy for being on a world so warm and dangerous, and that was without adding Saren and the Geth to that potential list. The drive had been uneventful and slow so far since they had to land a decent distance away from the dig site but the drive was making her stir crazy. Before they had made the drop, both Wrex and Garrus had offered to drive to no avail leaving them to ending up in the same positions as before. As they made their way along, the silence within the Mako was slowly but surely driving the youngest member of the team crazy.

They had been driving along the rough terrain for several minutes when Annabeth started to fidget, tapping her hands and feet to some song that she had made up and it was then that the Commander finally broke down and sighed. “Alright Annie, go ahead.”

Elated, the black clad soldier let out a quick and excited, “Yes,” before bring up her Omni-tools interface.

“What?” Both males asked looking between both women.

Turning to look at the Turian seated beside her in the gunnery chair, the Lieutenant-Commander smiled as she queued up a list of potential ear candy. “I hope you boys are okay with a little music. It’s about a  _ million _ years old and it’s from earth but hey, it’s still good.” She said as she syncs her Omni-tool to the Mako’s speakers.

Not a moment later the sound of electric guitars fill the small enclosed space as an old band called AC/DC plays a song named ‘Money Talks’. Wrex was used to his daughters weird taste in music so it didn’t surprise her when he just shrugged and continued to stare out the front window. However, Vakarian gave her a strange look for a moment but in the end said nothing Annabeth queued up a playlist with more music that was similar to the one playing.

Looking through her playlist, hazel-eyes found several rock albums from the 1970s and 80s to add to the list as she continued to look at what else could possibly fit the mood of the Mako. To an outsider Annabeth’s taste in music would be considered odd because most of it was from the 20 th and 21 st century and she loved it. If anyone where to ask, she would tell them that other than classical music, the music from this era in time was the best. There was something about it that had caused change in the people of Earth; protests and human rights changed so much in such a short amount of time and Annabeth believed that a lot of it was to due to the expressionism that song writers had.

Now if you were to ask Annabeth what her favorite type of music was you wouldn’t be able to get and answer; she like everything from Rock to Jazz to Pop to Rap and even some Country. Music was music in her opinion and it was either good or it was bad, she didn’t care if it fell into a specific genre, she just cared if it made her feel good. The same went for her taste in vids as well; for some reason she enjoyed watching vids from before they had discovered the Mars ruins, mostly because it made them more entertaining since she knew what life was really like when it came to technology and extraterrestrial life.

The old _Star Wars_ and _Star Trek_ movies and shows where probably a lot closer to what life was like past Earth than the actors and directors actually thought but it was still far fetched; however, not quite as far fetched as some, like the _Alien_ and _Predator_ series, but still too entertaining to pass up on the opportunity to watch them. What really got the young Lieutenant-Commander was when she would sometimes quote a line from one of the old vids and people would stare at her like she had grown a second head as she would nearly bust a gut thinking she was so funny. However, the best moments would be when someone _did_ recognize a quote she used; whenever it happened she knew she had made an instant new friend.

It wasn’t long after the music started to play, however, that the Geth appeared on radar and the fighting to begin. The fight was long and intense due to not only Jane’s bad driving and the amount of Geth in their way but the constant fear of driving into the rivers on lava flowing on both sides of the path. Seeing the terrain for the advantage that it could be, their crazy leader and driver decided that it was a good idea to ram some of the synthetic bastards into the lava flow, almost losing the ground vehicle in the process.

Forty-Five minutes of fighting and one album later, the ground team came across a set of buildings with a gate that barred them from going any farther. It took a few minutes of searching but eventually the team found a way around the blockade into the compound within which held a platoons worth of Geth they had to fight through. It was then that Annabeth wished that they had also brought the other members of the ground team with them. They could have used Tali’s hacking abilities and the more they fought the more she was convinced that having the extra muscle of Williams and Alenko would have also been helpful.

It wasn’t long after the compound had been clear of Geth that the Commander offed them everyone out of the Mako to sweep the area. Not only did they need to find the control panel that would allow them to continue along their path but they didn’t want to leave any synthetics behind them. Deciding the best course of act would be to split up and search the area, the Spectre ordered Wrex to go with her to the West while the ex-detective followed Jackson East.

As the two approached the first building, Annabeth could tell that there was something on her Turian partners mind; she could see him looking around and checking to make sure everything was clear and then send her a sideways glance. Being not a very patient person it was hard for the young woman not the yell, ‘what do you want!?’ at the man but she knew that wouldn’t help the situation so she waited.

Eventually, her waiting paid off when Garrus finally began to speak. “Um… Jackson, can I ask you something?” There was a warble to his voice that Jackson recognized as uncertainty and that wasn’t what she wanted out of this relationship. She wanted the man to feel comfortable talking about anything, not only because she had a gut feeling that Jane was going to make a move on the man but because she generally like him.

“You just did, Garrus.” Annabeth joked trying to make him more comfortable and by the deadpan look he leveled at her it seemed to have worked. Smiling and giving him a quick wink she continued, “but yes. You can ask me anything. It’s whether I’ll answer that you have to worry about.”

“Fair point.” He chuckled as they neared the entrance. “After the party the other day, I was talking with Shepard and she let slip something that I was hoping you could clarify for me.”

“Well… if I think I should, I will try.” She replied as she pressed her back up against the wall. With his back against the wall on the other side, Vakarian pushed the door open while Annabeth moved into the room.

Humming in understanding, the two started to sweep through the building making sure to check anywhere they though a synthetic could hide. “Well, I had asked her if you two lived together… and because she had called you Annie I thought it was something you preferred to be called so I used the nickname as well. The moment it was out of my mouth she quickly explained how I should never call you that or I would get my ass kicked.” He paused looking over to her skeptically as if not believing that she would hurt someone over a name.

Sending him an evil sort of grin she replied, “Well, she’s right. Go on.”

Taking a moment to recognize that the young Human wasn’t joking, Garrus shook his head before he continued. “Well, she mentioned that she was the only one who was allowed to call you that… and said that even your parents weren’t allowed too.” He paused once again giving her a moment to realize what exactly was being implied. It only took a moment for her to recognize that the male’s subharmonics were thrumming with something that sounded like sympathy when it hit her. Jane had unintentionally let slip their secret. “When I implied that you two were related she gave me a confusing answer… I could tell that she was upset so I let the matter drop…” Garrus finished leaving the rest unsaid.

Looking around one last time before they felt comfortable calling the all clear, Annabeth thought about how she wanted to approach the conversation; it wasn’t every day that her identity was exposed and with Garrus’s detective skills she knew that they wouldn’t be able to hide their relationship for long, especially with him now on the trail. Making up her mind, the former Shepard faced the ex-detective as she steeled herself for what she was about to do.

“Look, Garrus… This is a touchy subject to say the least.” She sighed as she continued to look around, unable to meet the man’s intense stare. “The only people who know the whole story are Jane, Wrex, Anderson, Kahlee and our late friend Emily… Things could get really… complicated if anyone found out about mine and Jane’s relationship.”

Pausing, Annabeth thought about what and how she was going to tell the man that she had lied about her identity for the past thirteen years. Having a good feeling about this particular Turian, Annabeth decided that she would tell him the truth, all of it.

“Here’s the deal Garrus, I have a feeling that you are going to be a good friend to me and my family so I’m going to take a risk by telling you the truth… My name is actually Annabeth Shepard. Now, as you can probably guess, Jane is in fact my sister. We grew up on the colony world of Mindoir until a Batarian raid came and ruined everything in 2170.” Pausing once again to collect herself, Annabeth finally looked up to meet Garrus’s eyes. What she found as she looked into his eyes was not quite what she was expecting, it wasn’t pity that she normally saw when people heard what happened to her sister but understanding and if she was reading him right comforting.

Taking a deep breath, Annabeth continued to tell her story. “When the attack came Jane and I were separated, she was with her boyfriend at the dance while I was on my way home. Somehow with all the fighting, death and destruction J survived; I, on the other hand was not so lucky. I had been trying to protect a group of children when the leader of the raid found us; we were taken as prisoners on his ship where the other children were sold and traded before the end of the first week. I, on the other hand, was to be held on the ship until they could find someone who would pay top price for a biotic child.”

At this point she had to stop and collect herself as memories of her time on the ship tried to push their way forward. It had been years since she had talked about her capture and it was strange to feel all the emotions that were brought up when she thought about it. Even after all this time, Annabeth had never shared what had happened on that ship and if she was truly honest with herself she wasn’t sure she ever would, she remembered being beaten, starved and kept in isolation but she knew that there were big chunks of memories that just weren’t there.

Shaking her head, Annabeth pushed the thoughts away as she once again continued her story. “Eventually, I was able to escape when they docked on Omega to sell me; little did they know that I had been honing my biotic abilities whenever I could so when I had the opportunity to escape, I took it and the rest is history. I found Wrex when I ran onto his ship to try and hide from the slavers that were chasing me and within a week he adopted me, no questions asked. By the time I escaped, the news about Jane being alive had disappeared and I didn’t want anyone knowing that I was what I thought at the time, the only survivor, so I lied and gave myself a new start as Annabeth Jackson.” She smiled at the memory of Wrex nervously asking if she wanted to stay with him. It was one of her fondest memories and every time she thought about it, it reminded her that she was safe.

“It wasn’t until I was done my N4 training that J and I found each other and between us, Anderson, Wrex and Kahlee we agreed that no one needed to know the truth If it came out… Well let’s just say it wouldn’t be good for any of us. The only reason Emily was allowed to know is because she was my best friend and could tell immediately that something was up.” Annabeth finished was a small sad smile on her face. Thinking about Emily still made her heart hurt, she missed her friend terribly but Annabeth knew that the woman was looking down on her and smiling; probably happy that Annabeth was letting someone else in.

A moment pasted as Annabeth tried to collect herself again. As she had talked the woman could barely look at the Turian in front of her but she had heard his subharmonics thrumming and Annabeth wasn’t sure if he knew but it was very comforting.

Breaking the silence that had fallen upon them, Garrus cleared his throat bringing her attention back into the moment. “I can see why Shepard didn’t want to tell me this. It’s not really her story to tell but yours and I appreciate you telling me… and for what it’s worth, I will not tell anyone. This is between you and your family and no one else.” He informs her and immediately she felt relief wash through her.

Finally, Annabeth looked back up at him and could see the kindness shining in his eyes and thought,  _ He would be good for Jane. _ Smiling, she replied, “Thanks, Garrus. You have no idea what this means.”

Stepping forward after setting his rifle aside, Vakarian placed both of his hand on her shoulders before resting his brow against hers. “For Turians,” He explained, “this is a symbol of trust and love normally reserved for family, close friends or mates but after what you just shared… Well… I feel as if you are more family then mine has ever been to me. Thank you for trusting me.” He said before stepping back, his mandibles flared wide, “Now, let’s continue to search for the panel, shall we?”

It wasn’t long after their conversation that Garrus heard the gate opening; after a final sweep of the second building the two headed back to the Mako where both her family members were already waiting.

Two hours of fighting and three albums later, the ground team finally made their way to the dig site. The fighting continued as several Geth and multiple drones were waiting inside the site itself but the team took them down easily enough. They were able to find a functioning elevator not far in and took it down, deeper into the dig site. They made it almost all the way to the bottom when the lift started to spark and sputter before stopping a couple of floors above the main dig site. Quickly exiting, the team made their way down some broken walkways that lead them to an area where they had to jump down to reach the next platform.

Using her biotics to help her down, Annabeth was the first to test the lower platform. The others quickly followed and when she turned around it was to find an Asari floating in the air in some sort of wired force field. “Well, this complicates things.” She said to no one in particular, knowing that they had just stumbled across something new and definitely strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth telling Garrus the truth about her past!! Yikes!! That's huge!! I hope she made the right choice. I guess we will find out ;)


	28. Chapter 28 (Liara)

Being corned but a group of synthetics and Krogan were not what Laira thought was going to happen when she signed up to work on the Prothean dig site out in the verge nor was she planning on getting trapped in an ancient defence system but that was exactly where she found herself. Floating in the air, the young Asari maiden had time to reflect on just how she had gotten into this mess and was coming up blank. Over the years she had ran into her fair share of pirates and mercenaries but never in her life had she been hunted for personally. Even with her mother being as powerful and influential as she was no one had ever come after Laira before but that didn’t explain the synthetics.

Floating there, the young maiden thought on all she knew of the galactic community and the only thing that was coming to mind were Geth. Could the synthetics that were with the yellow and green Krogan have really been Geth?

The idea was crazy if she had ever heard one but it was the only solution that came to mind. The Krogan had somehow convinced the metal machines to work with him. How or why, she didn’t know. All the blue Asari knew was that they were trying to capture her and that was all she  _ needed _ to know.

Off in the distance, the sound of gunfire could be heard and Laira was sure that it was getting closer. After everything she had been threw the past few hours, Laira wasn’t sure if she should be happy or terrified that there was gunfire. It could be good if someone came to rescue her but not many knew where she was, most likely it was pirate group and she would be in bad, if not worst trouble than she was already in.

Deciding that she really didn’t want to fall prey to whoever the gunfire belonged to, the young Asari tried one more time to escape the force-field that held her captive but to no avail. After hours of being stuck and fighting to get free she was weak from overexertion and hunger and if she was being honest, she felt like she was starting to slip. Being trapped and in a situation like she was it wouldn’t have surprised her if she was starting to lose her mind. The feeling only got stronger as two Humans, a Krogan and a Turian dropped from the platform above.

_ Oh great. I’m hallucinating. _ She thought until one of the Humans, the one in the black armor, spoke.

“Well, this complicates things.” The woman’s strong fruity voice could be heard saying and it only took a moment for Liara to realise that she could talk to them through the barrier.

Taking another half a second to gather her thoughts, the hundred and six year old sucked in a breath before calling out to the beings in front of her. “Can you hear me out there? I am trapped. I need help!” Hoping beyond hope that she wasn’t hallucinating and that these people were here to help, the Doctor decided to throw caution to the wind for now. Nothing could be worse than whatever the Krogan with the Geth wanted from her.

The other Human with fiery red hair and blood red armor stepped forward, “Are you okay? What happened to you?” The smoky, commanding yet pleasant voice asked and immediately the Asari knew that she was talking to the person in charge.

Not wanting to waste any time, Liara tried to convey her urgency about the situation. “Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it. All right?” She knew she sounded like she was talking to a child and sounded a bit rude and slightly condescending but she had already been stuck in the Prothean bubble for hours and she was getting tired. Her body was screaming at being held in the same position for as long as she had and she also was getting to the point of needing to pee which wasn’t helping.

“How did you end up in there?” The black armored woman asked as she looked around the perimeter of the force field, possibly trying to find a weakness.

Taking a deep breath, the blue Asari explained the best she could while trying not to cry out in pain and frustration. “I was exploring the ruins when the Geth showed up, so I hid in here.” She stated before her mind again landed on the fact that it was Geth that trapped her. “Can you believe that?” she nearly laughed, “Geth! Beyond the Vail!” Looking between the Turian, humans and Krogan, Liara could see clearly on their faces that, yes, they could believe it.

Continuing as if she hadn’t just said something that should be completely shocking, Liara explained. “I activated the tower’s defenses. I knew the barrier curtains would keep them out. When I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn’t supposed to and I was trapped in here.” Huffing at her own stupidity Liara met the eyes of the green-eyed woman hoping to get her desperation across. “You must get me out. Please!” she begged, having no shame in doing so. Even if she didn't know who these people were or why they were there, it seemed that they were better than the alternative.

The leader, the green-eyed woman seemed to study her before asking a question that Liara had not been expecting. “Your mother is working for Saren. Whose side are you on?”

“What!?” asked the Asari as she tried to stop her head from spinning. Whatever this was about Liara had no idea but she knew that she had to answer truthfully. She wasn’t sure why but the young biotic had a feeling that lying would be the worst thing she could do at that moment in time. “I am not on anybody’s side! I may be Benezia’s daughter, but I’m nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years!” The harshness in Liara’s voice surprised even her. In all her life Laira never once spoke ill of her mother, she loved her mother, but they had never been close. Liara was too… different from normal Asari her age and for her mother to understand which caused the two to constantly butt heads but she did love her.

Shaking her head to clear it of all the ideas of what her mother could possibly be doing to cause such chaos, blue eyes met green with urgent plea. “Please! Just get me out of here.”

The two women on the other side of the barrier stared at her a moment longer with blank faced before turning to each other. It looked as if they were having a silent conversation that only took a moment before the one with caramel coloured hair gave her head a quick nod, signalling the redhead to turn back and face Liara. “We just need to figure some way past this energy field.” The leader said once she was sure that they were going to rescue the trapped Asari.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Liara tried to explain what had happened. “It’s a Prothean barrier curtain. I knew it would keep me safe from the Geth but when I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn’t supposed to. I was trapped in here.” Sensing that she was possibly close to freedom, the blue toned Asari felt like she was going to burst into tears.

Stepping closer to the curtain, the woman in black clad armor sent her a reassuring smile before making a promise. “We’ll will find some way to help you.” She said and Liara could tell that she meant it. She wasn’t sure why she trusted this other woman but everything in her being was telling her she was safe with this group.

Nodding and trying to relax her body a bit, she told the group what they needed to do. “There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing but you’ll have to find some way past the curtain; that’s the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside I don’t know how you’ll get in here but be careful, there is a Krogan with the Geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barrier.” Liara warned them happy that this group had their own heavy hitter.

As if reading her mind, the red clad Krogan laughed as she smashed his hands together. “It’s a good thing you brought your own Krogan!”

With one last nod in her direction, her four hopeful savours walked off in hope of finding a way to free her. Once they were out of sight, Liara did her best not to panic again now that she was alone. Had they been a dream? A hallucination? How many Turians and Krogan would follow a Human?

_ No, _ the trapped woman thought,  _ they were real! _ As if to confirm that very fact the sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance and all Liara could to was hope that the Goddess would protect those coming to save her.

As she waited for her savours to get to her, slowly Liara’s mind began to wander, what had the human meant about her mother? What would be the reason for a Krogan and Turian to follow a human? Why did they even coming looking for her? Liara was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice when the drill went off.

\--

“How… how did you get in here? I didn’t think there was any way past the barrier!” Liara stuttered out as the group from before approached her from behind.

Giving her a look that made her feel ridicules for asking, the redhead gave her a strange smile before replying. “We blasted through with the mining laser.” She stated as if it should have been obvious and now that it was out there it made sense.

Blushing slightly, Liara recomposed herself quickly. “Of course, yes. That makes sense. Please… get me out of her before more Geth arrive. That button over there should shut down this containment field.” Liara informs them while she prepares herself for freedom.

The other woman, the one in black armor, walked over to the control panel and quickly and easily released her. Even after preparing for the field to drop, Liara still nearly fell face first onto the floor. Realising an audible, “Ooff” sound, the Asari quickly picked herself up off the ground before turning to face her savors.

Giving the red clad woman a smile of thanks, the blue woman was about to speak when the mountainous Krogan cut her off. “Any idea how we get out of this place?” He asked sounding a bit board with the whole situation.

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, not used to being around Krogan, Laira nodded her head back the way they came. “There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it’s an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!” Liara informed them as she led the way further into the ruins.

As they walk, the woman named Shepard introduced Liara to the rest of her team which helped easy the Young Asari’s mind; for some reason she felt that knowing their names would mean they were less likely to harm her or turn on her. The other woman in black and red armor was Lieutenant-Commander Jackson, the massive Krogan was Wrex and the Turian in what she thought looked like C-Sec armor was Garrus. The introductions were quick and before Liara even had a chance to mentally repeat them Shepard was explaining why they had come looking for her.

The Commander told her of the attack on the Human colony Eden Prime and how they had found evidence that her mother was a co-conspirator along with the famous Spectre Saren Arterius. To say that Liara shocked and overwhelmed would have been a grave understatement. “I… I still cannot believe all this. Why would the Geth come after me? Do you think Benezia’s involved?” She asked desperately, hoping that her mother didn’t knowingly try and have her killed.

Looking at her with sympathy in her hazel eyes, Jackson tried to reassure her as well as keep the reality of the situation at the forefront. “Well, Saren is looking for the Conduit and you are an expert on the Prothean’s so… Your mother probably new about finding you but I doubt shooting at you had been a part of the discussion.” She said and even though the woman was trying to be nice it didn’t help the feeling in Liara’s stomach.

Pushing aside what the woman said about her mother for now, the archeologist thought about the other words that were said and was confused. “The Conduit? But I don’t know-” She started to say but was cut off when the ruins start to rumble around them.

“Well that didn’t sound good.” The tall gray-plated Turian rumbled, looking around the room with his mandibles pulled in tight in concern.

Scoffing, Jackson turned towards the male and with a slight exasperated tone replied, “Again, thank you captain obvious.” Not really sure what the human meant by the phrase, Liara could tell that the woman wasn’t as mad as she sounded if the wink she sent the male was any indication.

Deciding that understanding that statement didn’t really matter now, the young Asari moved onto the more pressing issue. “These ruins aren’t stable. That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event. We have to hurry the whole place is going to cave in!” She exclaimed and was happy to see that the Commander was taking the situation a bit more seriously then the other Human.

Activating her come, Shepard barked her orders at what Liara assumed was the pilot of her ship. “Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. Now!” Just hearing the woman speak in the voice automatically had the blue female standing straighter as if she was the one being yelled at.

_ ‘ _ _ Aye, Aye, Commander. Secure and aweigh. ETA 8 minutes.’ _ Came a voice that sounded vaguely like a human male if Liara’s hearing was any good.

“Out running a volcano when we still have hostiles to worry about? Well, this should be fun!” The woman in black armor said with a wicked smile on her face that had Liara almost wishing the Geth had found her,  _ almost _ .

Clearly on the same page as the human the Krogan seemed to find it an appropriate time to joke about the situation. “If I die in here, I’ll kill him.” He said with a face so straight that Liara almost thought he was being serious until both Human’s chuckled.

The group made it the lift then and where soon rising upwards towards the sun and freedom but the feeling of hope that started to come over the young Asari was soon dashed when they came face to face with the Krogan Liara had warned them about earlier. With a sinking feeling, Liara noticed just how many they were up against and was concerned that her new allies may hand her over but when they from ranks around her she got concerned for a whole new reason. They were out gunned and it seemed that the Green crested Krogan was not happy with the idea of leaving without her, dead or alive.

It only took a minute of talking before the other Krogan to get frustrated and charge, causing their own Krogan to growl and yell, “I’ve got him!” as he went head to head with the other Battlemaster.

At the same time that the Red armored male charged the Commander yelled, “Annie!” which seemed to mean something to Jackson because she grabbed Liara forcibly, throwing her into cover while Gray-plated Turian and Commander started firing on the Geth. Jackson was not ideal while the fight raged around them as she used her pistol with precision taking down anything that tried to get too close to her or the one she was in charge of protecting. Liara watched in amazement as the Lieutenant-Commander took on a Geth unit that slipped past the others, quickly exchanging her pistol for the shotgun that was strapped into her back and filling it with hole.

The fight felt like it had taken hours from Liara’s standpoint but she knew in reality it had only taken a few minutes but with Liara not used to being in combat, well, it was definitely something new. The moment that Shepard yelled an all clear, Jackson was back at Liara’s side hauling her up and pushing her towards the exit. As they ran the rock cavern around them started to crumble spurring the blue woman to run even faster. She could hear the others hot on her trail as she climbed the shoot that would take them to the surface of the planet. The moment the door to the outside opened the young Asari could see what she assumed was Shepard’s ship coming in to pick them up and for the first time since the Geth showed up earlier that day, Liara felt like she might be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know that Asari are technically monogendered but everywhere that Asari are mentioned in the games and in the comics they are given the female pronoun and it's not just other species that give them that designation but themselves. Also, I see it as they have female sex organs so their for female, now it they identify as something else then fin but Liara calls herself a 'she' so a she, she will be lol!


	29. Chapter 29 (Jane)

Once the ground team was safely back aboard the Normandy, Shepard called for the entire away team to meet in the comm room once she was sure no one needed immediate medical attention. Dropping their weapons and armor off for Annie and Ash to deal with later, the two soldiers, one detective and mercenary headed to the lift that would take them to the crew deck with the Asari Doctor in toe.

When they exited onto the crew deck the group of five quickly made their way up the stairs to the comm room where everyone else was already waiting. As they entered the room, the tell tail click of the comm system came on and Joker’s voice filled the room.

‘ _ Too close, Commander. Ten more seconds and we would’ve been swimming in molten sulphur. The Normandy isn’t equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference _ .’ He teased and if the man wasn’t such a good pilot she would have marched up to the cockpit to give the man a piece of her mind but she knew he was just trying to hide how close of a call it had actually been.

Shaking her head, the Commander tried to hide the small smile that wanted to make its way onto her face; now was not the time to joke around, she was the Commander now, she could be Jane later.

“We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?” The Asari woman said in a tone that even a child would be able to tell was a mix of anxiety and fear. From just that alone, Jane could only guess how terrified the young woman must be. Only a day ago she was on a Prothean dig site doing whatever it is she normally did to now having out run not only the Geth and a Krogan but a volcano as well, leaving her with a group of people she didn’t know or trust. It didn’t surprise Jane in the least that the woman was confused and scared.

“It’s a coping mechanism. You’ll get used to it.” Annie tells the woman as she takes her seat across the room. It always amazed Shepard just how at ease her sister could be with complete strangers; they could be anybody, civilians, mercs or the daughter of the enemy and she was completely cool as a cucumber. It was madding, but it was just so… well, Annie.

“I see.” The Doctor replied as she looked over at the hazel-eyed woman, bring Jane out of her thoughts, “it must be a human thing. I don’t have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Lieutenant-Commander.” Nodding her head in respect she then turned her big blue eyes towards Jane, “but I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there and not just from the volcano. Those Geth would have killed me or dragged me off to Saren.” The stutter that ran down the woman’s body was barely visible but visible nonetheless and the redhead understood; just the idea of the disgraced Turian Spectre getting his hands on the young maiden was enough to get her blood boiling.

“What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?” Kaidan prodded the woman and the Commander had to stop herself from sending the man a sharp look. Even with his controlled tone, Jane could hear the suspicion in his voice and as she looked around she saw that Williams also shared his suspicion. Continuing to scan the room full of squadmates, everyone else seemed to either be okay with the addition of the woman or hard to read. As she looked, green-eyes could see that Annie had already accepted the Asari in question and when looked over to their resident Krogan, he also seemed comfortable since his daughter was. The two that were the hardest to read were the two dextro’s. Now, Jane would be the first to admit that she wasn't the best at reading Turian facial features and with Vakarian being a detective he knew how to hide his thoughts; Tali was a different story simply because of her mask, she could be hiding anything from suspicion to excitement under that this and Shepard would be none the wiser.

The blue woman took a moment to think over the Lieutenant’s question as if she was sifting through data that had been stored away for a long time. “Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That’s my real area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them.” Liara replied.

“How old are you, exactly?” Jane asked shocked. Looking at the woman in front of her, the Commander would have guessed she in her early twenties not anywhere near as old as she now suspected her to be.

“I hate to admit it, but I am only a hundred and six.” She tells them looking slightly down cast.

“Shut the fuck up!” Annie said in what was part shock part amusement, at the same time Ash’s voice chimed in, “Damn! I hope I look that good when I’m your age.” Shepard agreed with both sentiments but now that she thought about it, it made sense. The math lined up and when one did the calculations it would be like a twenty-year-old being an expert in something… it would be hard to convince people, your people to take you seriously.

“A century may seem like a long time to a short-lived species like yours. But among the Asari I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other Asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans.” Liara states and Jane knew that she had been right. She could tell that the Doctor was frustrated with her situation and she understood; when Shepard was younger and hadn't been under Anderson's command, her superior officers often questioned her tactics or decisions because she was so young and some because she was a woman but in the end, she was a better person and soldier for having to deal with that adversity.

Sending the woman a reassuring smile, the freckle faced woman decided that now was as good of time as any to bring the Prothean expert up to speed. “I’ve got my own theory about why the Protheans disappeared.” She stated calmly as she waited to see how the other woman would react. Not wanting to show all of her card from the get go but knowing she needed to trust the Doctor was hard. The fact that Annie seemed to be comfortable with the daughter of the enemy helped some and when she met her sister’s intense stare she knew that she had to try; her father’s kind eyes stared at her from her sister’s face demanding that she trust the blue woman so with an internal sigh, Jane tried her best to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. The younger Shepard had never been wrong before and Jane knew it would be silly for it to start being a problem now.

As if that triggered something within the young Asari, Liara started off on a long-winded tangent on how she had heard hundreds of theories about what had happened to the now extinct race but proving that one of the theories was in fact, fact was what was holding experts back. She explained how her research suggested that the Protheans might not have been the first species to mysteriously disappear and when Jane asked her where she came up with that theory Liara was quick to say that she didn’t have proof, just a feeling she had from years of research. A feeling was enough for the Commander, however, because if she was honest it sounded too similar to when she had a gut feeling in the field. Not always proven but always listened too. Liara was adamant that she was right and told them that she would one day find a way to prove it.

It was at this point when Jane started to see what her sister had when it came to their newly acquired friend. Liara seemed so sweet and genuine that it made sense as to why Annie thought they should trust her and with her knowledge of the Protheans the woman could be a big help. So, deciding on taking a chance, Jane took a risk and told the woman what she saw in the horrible vision. “They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers.”

Stunned silence was what greeted Shepard confession. Not everyone knew what the vision had shown her, only that it was from the Prothean artifact and it wasn’t good but now was as good as time as any for them all to find out. Tali knew because she was there when Jane had mentioned it in Udina’s office, Annie knew from the moment she woke up in the Med-bay and Wrex was told shortly after he came aboard but for everyone else this was their first time actually hearing it. “The… The Reapers? But I have never heard of… How do you know this? What evidence do you have?” The archeologist sputtered trying to grasp what she had been told. Though there was a look of shock and disbelief on the woman's face, Jane was sure she could see a bit of relief. Relief at the thought that someone might actually listen to her claims and if Shepard was right, it wouldn’t have surprised her if the Reapers had done this more than once.

Nodding her head at the other woman, she explained. “There was a damaged Prothean beacon on Eden Prime and it burned a vision into my brain. I’m still trying to sort out what it all means.” The Commander informs her as she rubs her temple; just thinking about the vision causes a headache to from.

“Visions? Yes… that makes sense.” The blue-eyed woman muttered to herself before continuing a bit louder. “The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the Geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon… even a badly damaged one… is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed you were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong-willed, Commander.” Liara stated as she stared at Jane in wonder. As she had listened to the Asari speak, the redhead couldn't help but notice the awe in the other woman’s voice and if she was being honest it was slightly embarrassing. If she was reading the Asari right, it sounded like she was… well, enamored by the situation.

“Or stubborn.” Annie chimed in with a smirk breaking the tension that had started to go in the room. Turning to her sister, Shepard sent her a 'I'll get you back for that' look before thinking more deeply to what Liara said but before anything of use came to her mind her thoughts were interrupted.

“This isn’t helping us find Saren. Or the Conduit.” The biotic soldier said, the frustration clear in his voice.

“Of course, you are right.” Liara replied sheepishly, “My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren.” She finished lamely as a blush spread across her face. The Commander felt slightly bad for the maiden but she realized that Kaidan had a point, they had gotten off track and now was the time to figure out what was to come next which meant dealing with the elephant in the room.

Clearing her throat and bringing the attention back to her, Annie offered the Asari an option that Jane was sure she would take in a heartbeat. “I don’t know why Saren wanted you out of the picture but I think we’ll be a lot better off if we bring you along.” Annie said before turning to Jane as if to ask if she was out of line, she wasn’t.

“I agree.” The Commander confirmed for everyone else. She wasn't sure what combat skills the Asari had but she did know that she would more than likely have powerful biotics like all other Asari and if she trained with Tali, she might become a good addition to the ground team.

Sighing in relief a smile light the young woman’s face. “Thank you, both.” She said as she stood to shake both their hands, “Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on this ship and my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on.” The relief and excitement in the woman’s voice where evident and if Jane was being honest, she was glad the woman wanted to stay because with everything going on, they needed all the help they could get.

At the Asari’s acceptance, Wrex grunted his agreement with the whole situation. “And her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts.” Jane nodded her agreement as she looked around the room, seeing that everyone seemed to be on the same page, well almost everyone. She saw the look that Ash and Kaidan shared and knew that they were nervous about having the daughter of the enemy aboard the ship but Jane ignored it for now, she could discuss issues with them privately.

“Good to have you on the team, Liara.” The redhead said with a smile that was returned almost instantly.

“Thank you, Commander. I am very gratef… whao. I am afraid I am feeling a bit light-headed.” Reaching out to stabilize the Asari, the Commander looked from Liara to Annie and back with concern.

“When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you.” Kaidan said to Jane’s great surprise. When she looked over to the lieutenant he looked concerned. 'Hummm' maybe she was wrong, Alenko looked actually concerned for the Asari but then again this was Kaidan, he would be concerned for anybody no matter his personal feelings. Waving a hand in front of her face as if to brush the kindness away, Liara assured them she is fine but did agree to have the Doctor take a look at her. Nodding her head, Jane did another quick look around the room before deciding that this was a good place to leave the conversation for now so she dismissed everyone for the time being.

_ ‘Mission reports are filed, Commander. You want me to patch you through to the Council?’ _ Joker asked as everyone else filed out of the room.

Thinking that she better not give the Council any reasons to regret their decision of making her a Spectre, Jane agreed to face the music now versus later, however, once she had connected she kind of wished she had waited. The Councilors were as pleasant as always, contradicting what she said along with each other. The Turian Councilor even went as far as to imply she meant to destroy the Prothean ruins. Jane’s patience was wearing thin but she knew that getting angry or upset would do nothing to help her case so she took all the BS they sent her way. After the call had ended, all Jane wanted to do was have a nice long shower so she told Joker to set a course for the Citadel as she made her way out of the comm room and down to her cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter dedicated to just following one of the meetings. I know, I know you all saw it during the game but I wanted to add the inner thoughts that were playing in the back of Shepard's mind. I hope you didn't mind :)


	30. Chapter 30 (Annabeth)

After the meeting ended Annabeth took Liara down to the Med-bay since she also needed to see the good Doctor. Sometime during the final fight, the biotic had taken a bullet to the shoulder; it was fine for now since the medi-gel was holding but she still needed the Doctor to clear her for duty. When it had happened, the brunette had told the team not to worry about her but she knew that Jane wouldn’t allow her back out in the field until Chakwas gave the all clear.

The two quickly made their way to the Med-bay where the gray-haired woman was busy typing away at her terminal. When she saw them walk into the room, she quickly had both sitting on their own beds and told Annabeth to strip off her upper layers for her to examine the damage. “Your wound looks fine,” the older woman told her as she bandaged the wound, “it should be healed in a few hours but don’t strain yourself.” Chakwas told her as Annabeth shrugged her shirt back on.

“Will do, thanks Doc.” She replied sending the woman a small smile before turning her head to look over at the newest crew member. “How are you doing over there, Liara?”

“Fine, thank you.” Came the Asari’s voice from one of the scanning stations. “Is this all really necessary?” She asked the Doctor causing the N7 to have to bit back a laugh. She remembered the first time she had to have all the test done. Chakwas was a very particular when it came to having the most up to date scans of the people on the ground teams. Annabeth remembered Jane fighting it the whole time but Chakwas was very persuasive and had a point that most of their scans were out of date. Well for ground crew anyway. You would think that the doctors in the Alliance would have their shit together but it seemed there was always things missing in the files that could make a difference when treating a soldier.

“Well, if your joining this team then, yes, for some reason they always seem to get into trouble,” the Doctor replied giving the N7 a pointed look. 

“Hey! It’s not my fault.” Annabeth defended weakly because she knew that Jane and her’s track record might say differently.

Sniffing in disbelief, Karen turned back to answer the original question in more detail. “I need a baseline to go off of incase you get injured while in the field or sick, this way I will have a good base to started with. Now,” she continued without further ado, “your dizziness from before was more or less full physical and mental exhaustion.” Chakwas informed the Asari, confirming what Kaidan had thought in the briefing, “some food and rest would be best before you try and do any work.” The doctor finished as she started to type away at her computer again, updating and adding new files for both.

“I’ll go grab you some food, Liara.” Annabeth called, hopping off the bed she no longer needed before making her way out of the Med-bay and to the mess. A few minutes later, with a small mess left behind for the brunette to do after she had ate, Annabeth headed back to the Med-bay with food for both herself and their new crew member.

“Oh, thank you so much.” The blue-eyed Asari said as Annabeth handed over her premade meal.

“No problem,” was the reply given as the soldier hopped back onto the bed across from the other woman.

Eating slowly as she stared off into the distance, Liara seemed to be thinking hard about something. Now, Annabeth wasn’t sure what of the many topics that came up today was bothering her bunkmate and was just about to ask when the other started to speak. “You and the Commander seem to be the only ones who don’t look at me as a threat or mistake.” It was blunt comment and caught the soldier a little by surprise but then she remembered the way the other Alliance soldiers looked at her on the way to the Med-bay.

“Yeah, well, I tend to have an excellent ability of reading people. I can generally tell if I can trust people and from the little you have said so fair, well, let’s just say I believe you and your mother have been estranged for at least a decade or so, no?” The hazel-eyed woman asked cocking her head to the side.

Spluttering, the Asari replied, “how did you know that?” It was clear from the look Laira was giving her that she had shocked the woman.

Chuckling Annabeth replied, “there are only a few reasons why anyone calls their parents by their given names versus Mom or Dad. One, they are like me and my father is technically under my Command or have to work with them in a professional manor. Two, you are mad at them and it is your way of rebelling. And three, you haven’t talked in several years and you feel like they have never accepted who you are. Now I am easily going to eliminate number one since your mother was a political leader or some such and you are an archeologist. I am also going to number two because you seem to be past the child rebelling stage which are really the only ones who use that form, leaving you with option three… Am I close?” Annabeth asked, this time looking the Asari in the eyes.

As she studied the Asari across from her, the N7 could see the struggle behind the other woman’s eyes, it was like she was deciding how much to tell while not getting too personal. There was silence for a few moments and Annabeth knew that talking to someone you just met on a subject you weren't comfortable with would mean having to break down some mental walls so she wasn’t going to push the woman for answers. As one who didn’t open up about her full past easily, Jackson knew that it was much easier said than done.

“Your last reason is most fitting, however, I don’t really want to talk about it.” Liara responded sounding as if she was unsure if she would be able to leave the conversation there. Annabeth understanded not wanting to share things that hit too close to home so she just nodded her head in understanding, continuing to eat the food she had in front of her.

It was a few minutes later, Liara cleared her throat and asked the question that Annabeth knew would come eventually, “Your father is under your command?”

Chuckling, the brunette replied, “yeah, you’ve actually already met him. Wrex, the Krogan, he adopted me when I was 14. Raised me well and taught me to fight. I grew up lucky to have such a loving father, but don’t tell him I said that, it would ruin his reputation and I think he would go kill a thresher maw on foot just to prove he wasn’t getting soft.”

Liara’s eye widen with surprise, “Really!?”

That reaction never got old, it was one of Annabeth’s simple pleasures in life to inform people just who her father was because it always got a reaction, good or bad. The reactions where always the same: some bing, shock, bewilderment, confusion, acceptance, which is what she loved to get or hatred, anger, racist remarks, which she was not a fan of and lastly, the ones that always took the cake because it was rare were the ones where the person just shrugged their shoulders as if they saw a human with a Krogan father all the time. Most nonhumans fell under the positive side of life 95% of the time, humans on the other hand were generally split 50-50 and the ones that fell into negative side were generally cruel. Funnily enough, other Krogan generally didn’t care as long as she could prove that she was worthy of having a Krogan father which she did on a regular basis when she was younger, now that she was an adult and had a very decorated and well known history, they tend to leave her be.

Annabeth couldn’t help the quiet laugh that spilled from her lips even if she had wanted too, “Yeah, it’s a long story involving a lot of running and fight, maybe I’ll tell you sometime.”

Liara processed this news while nodding absently, clearly understanding that the topic was for another time. She was quiet for another few moments before speaking again, “You explained why you trust me but not the Commander.”

“Shepard trusts you because I trust you. Simple as that.” Annabeth informed her new team member honestly. After all her time in the military and her time as a merc, the N7 new that with holding information could be just a detrimental as lying when it came to missions and even though this piece of information wasn’t life changing, it showed the Asari just where Annabeth stood in the pecking order of command. 

When it came to the young Asari, if Annabeth hadn't trusted her who knows what could have happened, maybe Jane would have invited her along anyway to keep an eye on her or maybe she would have thrown her from the airlock, not likely, but you never know. The situation they were in was one in which needed to be handled delicately and with Jane being in the spotlight as the First Human Spectre, well, they couldn’t afford mistakes.

“Oh.” Was all the reply she got.

“So… tell me about you.” Annabeth prodded deciding that she might as well get to know the Asari a bit and hopefully put her more at ease.

“Me, Oh I’m afraid I’m not very interesting Lieutenant-Commander. I spend most of my time off at remote digs trying to find any information about the Protheans.” The blue woman replied, giving the soldier nothing to really work with other then that the woman loved her job, which anyone with two eyes and half a brain cell could figure out.

Shaking her head, Jackson pushes just a little more. “First, call me either Annabeth or Jackson. Lieutenant-Commander is just too much and second, you must like your work, right?”

“Of course! I love my work; seeking out history’s lost secrets has a special appeal for me.” She replied with a dazed and far off look.

Annabeth could understand that, when she was younger she had obsessed with mythology and for a brief time wanted to be an archaeologist herself but as she aged she like the idea of protecting people more then going on remote digs. She still did some research of her own, mostly of the gods and goddess of old and had to admit that if she were to believe in a higher power she would rather there be multiple gods and goddesses than one overpowering God. “I get that. I used to love learning about human history when I was younger. Mostly things to do with the ancient Roman Empire, or Greek mythology or ancient Egyptian culture. I loved it, I mean, it’s not as old as Protheans but I felt connected to it.” Annabeth told her.

“Yes, I can see how one would like to know their own species history. To learn of another’s is hard, mostly because you don’t have any examples to follow. It’s a lot of guessing, taking from existing cultures and see if they could possibly share any traits.” Liara lectured and it was fun to see the woman light up when talking about something she was passionate about. Annabeth sat back and listened to the woman talk and just as she started to get on a roll, they were interrupted by the return of Doctor Chakwas.

“Your files are up to date now and all of the test have come back clear so you are free to go Dr. T’Soni. Let me know if you need anymore assistance.” The gray haired woman told the young Asari, completely unawares that she had interrupted.

“Thank you, Dr. Chakwas.” Liara says slipping off the bed, happy to be free to roam and get to know the ship. Standing with her, Annabeth offered to take the now empty plate form newly freed patient and headed for the door. Before leaving, the brunette turned back and offered, “Liara, if you are going to be joining us on the ground we should probably train you a bit. Come see me when you have time and I will assess your skills and set up a training schedule to bring you up to standard. Also, I will need to fit you with weapons and armor as well.”

Liara nodded her thanks which Annabeth returned before leaving the room to clean the mess she left behind in the mess. Once she was sure the area was clear of her earlier disaster, the brunette decided to hit the showers now that she was free of the Med-bay. 

Post fight showers were always one of the N7’s favorite times, mostly because it felt good to get clean but also it was the one place she could be alone and alone was when she could sing. The merc turned soldier would never admit it to the crew but she loved to sing and she was quite good at it to boot. Even though her voice had been compared to the sound many great artists she never really felt comfortable singing around her military friends. It wasn’t that she didn’t think it would be appreciated, no, it was more about having something that no one could take from her; something just for the young Shepard girl that died when she was taken from Mindoir.

When she was younger Annabeth had loved to sing and she had even sang after Wrex had taken her in but she had never made anything of it. There was a brief moment in time when she had tried to start a band, but with living in space most of the time, it had never worked out so she let that idea fade. Too his credit though, Wrex had loved her singing and even though he acted like a grizzly bear he was a big teddy at heart, asking her to sing when they had been traveling from job to job. Ever since enlisting, however, she had let that part of her life disappear; she never regretted it, but she did still loved to do it when no one else was around.

It wasn’t long before the N7 was clean and had satiated her need to sing before exiting the shower, it was then that Annabeth realized that she was going to have to tell her father and sister about the conversation she had had with their Turian crew member; sending both a quick message to met in Jane’s cabin, the Lieutenant-Commander made her way to the captain's quarters.

\--

_ 'Are you sure about this, Child?'  _ Anderson asked through the vid-call, worry creased his brow. Once she had gotten both her sister and father in the room, Annabeth had decided that since this was a family matter, David should be apart of the conversation as well.

Huffing his unease, Wrex agreed, “yeah, I’m not so sure, Bug.” He said looking equally as troubled.

Giving them a reassuring smile, Annabeth replied, “yes, I’m sure. He seemed genuinely concerned about the situation and I could hear the hum in his vocals, he just wants to make sure that we are okay. Also I just have a feeling, you know… there is something about him that I trust and I don’t believe he would ever betray the trust I gave him.” A moment of silence was given so the two older males could think about what she had said before adding, “he is also a detective, a good one. He would have figured it out eventually.”

The two fathers continued to study the youngest of the group as she wait to see what they had to say. It was Annabeth’s plan to let both Wrex and Anderson think that she was the one who let slip her family connections with Jane because with everything that was happening, it was easier for her to take the stress. Jane had bigger things to worry about and Annabeth could see that her sister needed help sharing the load, no matter how small.

‘ _ Well, it’s too late to change things now and if you say you trust him, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. _ ’ Anderson replied seeming to relax slightly after Annabeth bestowed her high opinion of the officer.

“If we want to make sure he doesn’t talk, I could always kill him.” Wrex suggested and even though she had been his daughter for years, the hazel-eyed child couldn't tell if he was a joking or not.

“No!” the other three answered harshly and in unison, clearly on the same page.

Huffing out a sigh and putting a bit of a pout, well as much as a Krogan could pout, look on his face he replied, “ it was just a suggestion.” Putting his hands in the air as a sign of surrender, the red giant smiled, all teeth and creepy; if the three humans hadn’t known the Krogan, they may have been intimidated.

Nodding his head, seeing that the Krogan was indeed not serious about his threat, Anderson spoke up, ‘ _ well, if he… hold on just a second _ .’ In the background of the vid-call there was another voice, that sounded very much like Udina, called to him. Annabeth’s feeling that the man was being called away was confirmed when Anderson sighed, ‘ _ I have to go. I hope everything works out and keep in touch, _ ’ he ordered before disappearing from the screen.

There was silence for a moment before the lone male turned and faced his daughter, “well Bug, I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the quad but it’s your call. You have the most to lose.” With that Wrex left the cabin, leaving the two sisters behind.

The young woman knew that he was right, out of everyone, she had the most to lose. Yes, Anderson and Jane could get in trouble for not reporting her when they found out who she was but Annabeth had been ‘lying’ about her identity for years before they had even met. The thing was though, they really couldn’t call her on lying because as fat as she was concerned, she was Annabeth Jackson nee Shepard, not Annabeth Shepard. That girl still existed but it wasn’t who she was anymore and she had only lied about not knowing her backstory… everything else had been true, or what she thought it was until she found Jane alive that is. After all these years, Annabeth knew it would be a matter of time before someone found out the truth about her life but until then they were going to keep this a secret; she just hoped that one day her gauge of judging people wouldn’t be wrong and be stabbed in the back by someone she trust, that would be a hard pill to swallow if it ever happened.

“Why did you tell them it was you who let slip?” Jane asked quietly snapping the brunette out of her thoughts. Pulling her sister into a warm hug, Annabeth replied, “because I love you and I know that you are blaming yourself but you shouldn’t. Garrus is a good investigator, eventually he would have figured it out without me informing him and besides, you have bigger problems to deal with then someone figuring out we are family. It was only a matter of time before someone saw what was right in front of them.”

Tightening her arms, Jane sighed, “yeah I guess your right.”

Nodding her head slightly, the two sisters stayed in their embrace, Jane’s arms pulling her sister closer the entire time. “Um… J! I can’t breathe.” Annabeth breathed out eventually, knowing that it hadn’t been her sisters plan to suffocate her. Blushing slightly, Jane pulled back before they both broke out into laughter at the sheer silliness of the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Liara, so adorable she is when she talks about her work! I thought that Annabeth could have a connection with Liara about archaeology since I was having her check on Liara instead of Shepard. I am starting to drift slightly from cannon mostly because I found the love triangle very strange. I mean they are all adults so the fact that it could happen boggled my mind but then again I guess some people are asshole like that and string people along. But not my Shepard damn it! I hope you enjoyed the like family meeting as well. I had fun writing that part :)


	31. Chapter 31 (Garrus)

The Mako had only been on two outings since Garrus had joined the Normandy and both times it had taken a beating. Not due to their mission so much as the Commander’s terrible driving skills. He couldn't believe that the Human was not only that bad of a drive but she seemed to think that she was a  _ good _ driver. Now, Garrus wasn’t an expert in human’s but he really didn’t see how the female thought that she was even remotely decant at driving confused him. How could she possibly think she was a good driver after all this damage? Really, he might have to have her take a look at the Mako after then next mission so she could see the damage for herself, it would almost be impressive if it wasn’t so horrifying. These were the thoughts running through Garrus’s head as he crawled out from under the Mako to grab more pairs. He was just looking for a suspension coil when he noticed Wrex heading his way.

“Wrex, what can I do for you?” Garrus asked warily. So far on this mission, their interactions had generally been supervised with either with the Commander or Lieutenant-Commander close by. This was the first time either had approached the other allowing for full disclosure; it almost like how he would talk to his sister, Sol when their parents weren’t around. It was strange but it was more than likely going to happen at some point anyway.

Doing a quick scan of the cargo hold, noting that everyone was minding their own business, the red clad Krogan turned his massive head back in Garrus’s direction. “I know that Annabeth told you about our… Um… family situation, and I was just coming over to tell you that if you break your promise to my daughter, I will not hesitate to kill you.” Wrex told the now nervous Turian.

“I…” Garrus’s tried to reply but suddenly found his mouth was enormously dry. For their first unsupervised conversation he was not expecting this. “I would never betray the trust that Jackson has shown me Wrex. Never.” Garrus’s chest rumbled ever so slightly indicating that he was nervous and telling the truth. That was the thing about having duel vocals, if they slipped out they never lied. He could tell by they way Wrex was looking at him that Wrex heard what he was saying.

That’s the thing with Krogans, they could pick up sub vocals better than the other species and they also had the better sense of smell. That was one thing that bothered Garrus about his Turian physiology was his sense of smell. He could easily pick up another Turians scent but Turians had this annoying genetic defect that made it so you couldn't scent yourself.

“Good.” Wrex growled. “Oh, and by the way. The same goes for Shepard.” Garrus looked at the Krogan in shock.

“I can smell it from across the cargo bay whenever she comes to talk to you. I see both of them as daughters, same as Anderson does. I don’t know why they are so easy to trust but they both seem to like you so that is good enough for me… For now.” Wrex finished menacingly before he turned, stomping back over to his normal area of the cargo bay.

Turning back to the Mako, Garrus did his best to try and make himself look busy as he thought on everything he knew. He had never planned to share what Annabeth had confided in him, and that was before Wrex’s warning; Garrus was proud think that he was honorable and honorable people took things like this to the grave before betraying something so personal.

And what was the Krogan meaning that he could smell him from across the cargo bay? Garrus wasn’t into humans. If he was, he guessed that yes, Shepard was pretty for a human with her intense green eyes and fiery red hair but still, she was human. Garrus had never really thought of being with someone outside of his species before. But he did have to admit that Shepard would be a good match for him. Her calm versus his fire and the way everything she said made him rethink every decision he has ever made.

Shaking his head out that stream of thought, he decided that what he needed was some cold water, that would help clear his mind. Quickly, the ex-CSEC officer made way to the elevator while making sure to avoid looking at the Krogan he knew what watching him. Once the elevator doors closed, Garrus let out a long sigh knowing that this was going to be a long few days now that he knew this information. He wasn’t upset about it, just nervous, nervous because he didn’t want to break the confidence that Jackson had shown him.

When the elevator stopped on the crew deck, the blue-eyed Turian exited the lift, heading towards the mess. Just as he had finished pouring himself a glass of water he heard laughter coming from Shepard’s cabin as both the Commander and her sister exited the room.

“Hi, Garrus.” Annabeth smiled at him, warm and kind. “Have you seen Kaidan?”

Flaring his mandibles in return, he replied, “yes. He was talking to the Gunnery Chief not long ago in the cargo bay.”

“Okay, thanks,” and with that she was gone with a quick wave of her hand heading towards the lift, leaving him alone with Shepard.

Now, over the years Garrus got in the habit of keeping his visor on at all times thus allowed him to notice things that weren’t normally noticeable. For example, as he looked at the Commander, he could tell that her heart rate seemed slightly elevated more than normal which got him curious; Why was it elevated? Could it be residual stress from the conversation that she had had with Annabeth?  Was she angry? Nervous maybe?

Over his years at C-Sec, Garrus had picked up that most humans were intimidated by Turians but for some reason the sniper had a feeling that that wasn’t it. Shepard was a capable fighter and could handle herself and he  _ was _ a part of her crew so that didn’t seem to fit.  _ ‘Maybe she is nervous because of  _ who _ she was talking to… me!’ _ he thought. Not entirely sure why but just that thought cause Garrus’s body to respond with low rumblings of shock, happiness, and some arousal.

Shaking his head from the strange thoughts and feelings, the blue-eyed Turnian cleared his throat and said, “So, Commander. I hear Jackson told you about our… Um… conversation.”

Nodding she replied, “yeah, she explained it. I want to thank you for your… digression with this matter.” Garrus could hear the sincerity in her voice but had noticed that the woman was avoiding looking directly at him.

“Of course, Commander.” Garrus responded slightly confused but her actions.

As the silence stretched between them, the ex-C-Ses officer caught his mind drifting towards the feelings of happiness and arousal he had felt towards the Commander and had to mentally smack himself of the thoughts. He had just had a conversation several minutes ago with the Krogan about how he needed to tread carefully or face him and that was one thing Garrus did not want to face, a pissed of Krogan merc. Clearing his throat, the sniper decided that the best course of action would be to ask the woman out, this way he could focus back on his work; yes, that seemed like a good idea. “Commander?” He asked, pulling her attention back to him.

“Yes?” she replied, going slightly into Commander mode, finally meeting his eyes. The moment her sea green eyes met his ocean blues, Garrus felt his stomach do a backflip and then some.

“Would you like to grab a drink the next time we are on the Citadel?” The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He had planned on asking a little more discreetly but apparently that is not what his mouth had planned. No, it planned to just get straight to the point, oh well, it’s was to late now.

“Oh…” she said surprised, “well sure. I’d like that.” She smiled, her face turning a slightly red colour, “and please, call me Shepard, especially if we aren’t talking work.” She finished warmly.

Mandibles pulled back in a stupid grin, looking like a fool, Garrus replied, “All right then... Shepard.” He cleared his throat as he tried to rein in his out of control thoughts, "I will arrange something for when we arrive." He said with a nod before making a hasty retreat back towards the elevator.

On his way back to the Make, Garrus didn’t notice anything that wasn’t directly in his path, he was too busy processing all that had just happened. He couldn’t be he had just propositioned his Commanding Officer. Yes, Turians were more lacks in this area but as a rule you never went above your command. It was always the high ranked asked down not the other way, it was a matter of respect but he had just negated all of that. Well, if he wasn’t a bad Turain before he sure was now.

Moving quickly, the sniper got back to work on the vehicle in front of him, thinking it would help calm his nerves. As he was trying, and failing, to start his work he noticed that Jackson had made her way over to him, sitting down by the rear tire like she had the last time the two had talked. Knowing it was no use trying to work, he decided that maybe talking would be a good thing

“So,” the small human started, “when you came back down here you looked like you had seen a ghost. What’s up?” She asked completely comfortable, as if they had talked like this all their lives.

Slowly extracted himself from underneath the Mako, the tall Turan moved to sit beside her when he noticed just  _ how _ she was sitting. “Spirit, Annabeth! How are you sitting like that?” He asked, unawares he had just used her first name.

Annabeth, with her knees bent up close to her chest and her arms thrown around them hugging them tight to herself, looked as if he had been knocked in the head. “What? Turians can’t sit like this?” She asked after it seemed to dawn on her that not all species could bend the same way.

Shaking his head with a look that she must have understood as his complete shock that Humans  _ could _ bend that way, the woman laughed as she straightened her legs out in front of her. “Yes, we can bend that way but if it makes you feel better I won’t sit like that for now.” She joked, bumping him on the shoulder with her own. Smiling, she continued, “You can’t avoid the question.” 

Snapping himself out of his thoughts on how Human hips and knees work, Garrus replied, “right… well… I kind of asked Shepard out for drinks the next time we are on the Citadel. And she said yes,” he added lamely at the end, not really sure how the woman would react to the news. OVer the last few days, Garrus had begun to feel close to Annabeth. She had been kind, open, and honest about everything yet at the same time annoyingly observant as well as a pain in the ass. Thinking about it, it reminded him of his sister or his best friend more than anything.

Now that he thought about it, this is the real reason he didn’t plan on sharing her secret, not because Wrex threatened him or his confused feelings for Shepard but for the simple fact that he genuinely like this woman. He was nervous because he knew that if she didn't approve of him and Shepard, it wouldn't matter what his feelings were. They were family and he wasn’t going to get in the way of that. He didn’t want to miss out on his friendship with this human nor cause a problem.

Her reply, however, surprised him. “Good. I was debating on starting a betting pool to see when you to would ask her out.” She said with a wicked smile and a twinkle in her hazel eyes, showing that she more than approved the idea, more likely she loved it.

This was not the reaction the Turian had expected but he was more than relieved that it was the one he gotten. “Really? Other then you and Wrex, who else knew?” He asked, wondering if he was the last to know about his potential feelings towards the red-headed woman.

“Ash for sure, maybe Kaidan and Joker but that’s about it.” She tells him honestly and Garrus was grateful, he would have hated for everyone to know before him. “And for what it’s worth,” she said with a now much softer smile, “I think you two would be a good fit.”

Replying with a hum of acknowledgment and his own soft smile, Garrus got lost in thought, leaving the two to sit in comfortable silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a date on the Citadel it is. Since I have broken cannon when it comes to the romance of the game I thought I would change Garrus's romance skills a bit. I always thought that Garrus was confident in ME1 and the reason that he is so shy and (really) awkward in ME2 was due to the whole Archangle mix up. Let me know if you agree or not. :)
> 
> P.S. this is as far as I have gotten with the editing!! I hope that you like the updates and I plan on having more updates done soon!! I know that this is taking longer than I would have liked and my other works are suffering a bit but I feel that this is something I have to do before I can get the creativity flowing again. I really am sorry for those waiting for me to continue part three of this as well as enemies... life/school/work has gotten in the way but I hope to get back on track soon! Please leave comments and questions if you like, I am always open to feed back :)


	32. Chapter 32 (Jane)

Jane watched as Garrus retreated back down to the cargo bay. She had no idea what had just happened but she could feel her face burning. Jane had to admit, she thought that Garrus might have had feelings for Annie with the way everything was working out but apparently not. Jane needed to clear her head, after the talk with Annie and now Garrus asking her out she decided that talking to their newest crew member might be a good idea.

As Jane entered the room, Liara rose to greet her. The two had a nice talk about the Asari and their culture. Liara told Jane about her complicated relationship with Benezia and in the end thanked Jane for trusting her. Jane was surprised with how much she enjoyed the conversation with Liara. She wasn’t really sure if it was due to having a good conversion or the after feeling of what happened with Garrus, but it didn't matter. Jane made her way up to the bridge to have a quick chat with Joker before heading down to the cargo bay. When she exited the elevator she saw Kaidan and Ash having a conversion over by the weapons table, Garrus and Annie were sitting on the floor chatting by the Mako and Wrex was in his usual spot observing the room.

“Something wrong Wrex?” She asked. Wrex had been glaring over at Garrus and Annie. Jane had to admit there was a pang of jealousy that shot through her as she observed the two talking. She was not jealous in a sense that she thought there was something going on with the two, Annie would never do that. The jealousy sprang up because Annie was just so comfortable with not only Garrus but everyone and Jane always felt like she had to work so hard at being comfortable. It was unfair in her books.

“I know Bug trust him and I know you like him but I don’t. Not yet anyway.” Wrex says breaking Jane out of her thoughts.

“What don’t you like about him? Is it something in particular?” Jane asks, trying to get him to open up.

“The fact that he knows… our situation but also… You have feelings for him. I may not be Anderson but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel the same.” Wrex says turning to look at her.

‘Oh’ Jane thought. He is being a protective father for me since Anderson isn’t here. Then to her horror she realizes that he knows! “Annie told you didn’t she! I’m going to kill her!”

Wrex laughs. “No, Bug didn’t tell me. She didn’t need too. I can smell it on you, both of you. And you being human, can’t hear what his subvocals put out.”

“Oh.” Was all Jane could say in response.

“Look, I have been in fights with him and I can tell he can protect you. Not that you need it!” he says quickly as Jane gives him a mock glare. “It’s just, we barely know him.”

“Yes. But that has never stopped Annie before. So let me ask you, is it because I seem to trust him?”

Wrex is silent for a few moments before answering, “You always seem to need time to trust people. Even when we first met, it took several meals before you trusted me and I raised Bug but you seem to have come to trust _him_ quite quickly.”

Jane thought about what he said. It was true that it had taken her a while to finally open up and trust Wrex but Jane was also younger then and she had just found her sister. She had always be overprotective of Annie when they were younger and so it took a while for Jane to see that Wrex was just as protective, if not more. And it help when Jane finally realized that Annie wasn't the small kid who she used to know but a grown woman who could kick anyone's ass. “I hear you. And I have to admit Wrex… It scares the hell out of me. The last guy I trusted this much was John and we dated for awhile. I mean yes, I have had other boyfriends but I never really got know them to well. Mostly flings really but this feels different and it scares me.” Jane admitted.

“Well kid. I don’t have any words of wisdom for you. With me being Krogan and a mercenary, I don’t have relationships the same as you. You two girls are all I got but if you want to talk… I’m here for you.” Wrex’s voice came out awkward and he had avoided speaking to loudly when he said it. Jane was touched by the vary idea that Wrex had even suggested she could talk to him let alone was actually saying she could.

Jane smiled, “Thanks Wrex, but you and I both know that Annie will probably do all of the talking for me.”

At that, Wrex laughed and nodded his agreement. After they had cleared the air, Jane moved on to talk to Ash and Kaidan. As she approached Jane realized that the two were talking in light banter back and forth and Jane thought ‘are they flirting?’ Jane would have to check with Annie the next time they spoke because it didn’t take long before Kaidan noticed her coming and saw his stance switch from relaxed talking to a woman to soldier in a blink of an eye.

“Skipper.” Ash nods her head in acknowledgment.

The three had a quick chat about the last mission. The two both openly expressed concerns about Liara and Jane tried her best to put their minds at ease. Slowly the conversation switched to a lighter hearted topic of Annie’s choice in music for the fight and asked if they could make up their own play list for when it was their turn on the ground. Jane agreed that they could and even said she would make a schedule for whose turn it would be to choose the music for the mission.

The next stop was to engineering to see how their resident Quarian was doing.

“Hey, Tali.” Jane says as she approaches the younger girl.

“Hey, Shepard.” Tali responds sounding a bit tired.

“Are you okay?” Jane asked concerned. Jane hadn't really thought about how the Quarian was adjusting to life on a human ship but was now kicking herself mentally. She should have checked in sooner.

“I don’t know. Your ship is amazing and your crew has been really great to me. Especially your chief engineer. But I sort of feel… out of place. The Normandy runs so smooth it feels like we’re not even moving. And the engines are so quiet. How do you sleep at night?” The question took Jane off guard.

“The silence wakes you up?” Jane asked, feeling confused.

Tali nodded, “Back on the flotilla, the last thing you want to hear is silence. It means an engine died or an air filter’s shut down. I guess you don’t have to worry about that here, but old habits die hard. But it’s more than just silence. This ship feels so empty; it’s like half the crew is missing. Back home, I couldn’t wait to go on my Pilgrimage. I couldn’t wait to get away form the crowds. Now that I’m out here, I kind of miss them.” Tali explains. 'Oh' Jane thought, of course, Tali was home sick. This was her first time away from her friends and family and was missing them. Why hadn't Jane thought of this before.

“Sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone.” Jane says, thinking about Mindoir.

“That’s true. I’m starting to wonder if that’s what the Pilgrimage is really about. It’s given me a whole new perspective on my people and culture. You know, there’s always a few who go on Pilgrimages and never return. I always assumed something bad happened to them, but maybe they just wanted a different life.” Tali says with a kind of wistfulness to her voice. Jane could understand wanting a different life. She sometimes daydreamed about what life would have been like if her parents had lived and she hadn't joined the military. She never really had any idea what she would do if out of military service but it was still sometimes fun to think about. However, the way that Tali had said that last part made Jane a little uneasy.

“You do plan to return to the Migrant Fleet, right?” Jane asks a little concerned.

“I could never abandon my people, Shepard. I will go back eventually. But we have to stop Saren first. Otherwise, I might not have a home to go back to.” Tali reassures her. The two chat for a little while longer until something called Tali back to the control panels.

Jane made her way back out to the cargo bay where Annie and Garrus were still talking. “Hey, what are you two talking about?” Jane asks as she sits down on Annie’s lap.

“Ooff! Damn J! A little warning next time.” Annie complains as she readjusts her position so she is more comfortable.

“Sorry.” Jane grins and sends a wink at Garrus who was chuckling at them.

“And what we are doing is, I’m trying to explain to Garrus human comic book characters and how they all relate to one and other.” Annie tells Jane.

Jane raised an eyebrow. “How did this conversion start?”

“Oh, I just made a comment about how if Garrus didn’t like red tap and he didn’t want to be a Spectre he could become Batman. I thought it was a logical option… I mean Garrus isn’t a multi-millionaire with a tragic back story but I think he could pull of being the dark knight, No?” Annie asks.

Jane thought about that and the comparison wasn’t really that far off. Garrus was good looking, a skilled fighter, would probably never kill anyone unless it was a last resort, and would serve the people. “You know what Annie, I thing your right. But if he did, he might draw the attention of the Council. What if I was sent as a Spectre to catch him?”

Annie just laughed, “The police were technically supposed to catch Batman… they never did. Hell, they started calling on him to help. And lets say that was true you could become his Joker and just always let him get away.”

“What does Joker have to do with Batman… he flies the ship?” Garrus asked.

Both women laugh and Annie goes on to explain Batman’s greatest enemies. Annie eventually decides that it would just be easier to send Garrus a copy of one the Batman shows for him to watch and he could see for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I added Batman because I always felt that Archangel was very similar. I thought I would have the idea be formed form this conversation. Also what's up with Ash and Kaidan?? Could there be something there?? Who knows what will happen in this crazy ride! ;)


	33. Chapter 33 (Annabeth)

“My plan was to stay on board anyway. If you and Pressly both want off ship, don’t worry about it I can stay and XO. This way I can keep Joker company.” Annabeth tells her sister. She didn't really feel the need to leave the ship yet, it felt like they had just left. Annabeth had been on ship for months at a time when she had first been 'on the road' with Wrex so she really didn't have a problem with staying.

“Are you sure… I can stay until Pressly comes back.” Jane says concern in her eyes.

“I’m fine. You have to meet Garrus in an hour and Kaidan and Ash are going out so I can stay here and try and convince Joker of accepting a date, if he would entertain the idea of leaving this damn ship!” Annabeth replies trying to alleviate some of Jane's concern.

“Annie, you need to try dating too you know. I mean, you have been on dates but as long as I have known you, you don’t date. You should at least try.” Jane tells her sister.

“That’s because I have been focused on you since we have reunited.” Annabeth jokes. Annabeth always had to joke when it came to this subject. Between Jane, Wrex, Anderson and Kahlee all wanting her to start entertaining the idea of settling down was, in her opinion, hilarious. She knew that people her age normally started the whole dating thing that could turn into a relationship but Annabeth never really thought about it. She might have considered it with Nih- 'No' Annabeth thought, 'don't go there.' Annabeth was a person who either felt something or she didn't and most of the time she felt it for maybe a week or two. Not that she was a hoe, but she never found anyone that could keep her interested longer then that. She had even tried to date guys without having sex for the first week or two and still would fall flat. Annabeth knew that she would know when she found someone that she wanted to be with like she knew when to trust people. They just had to give her a little more credit.

“Annie…”

“J! I’m fine. You deserve a break from being leader. Let me know if you need help picking out an outfit. Go! Enjoy your date and for pity’s sake. I will man the Normandy!” Annabeth tells her sister giving her a small shove.

“Okay!” Jane says giving her sister a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you!”

“No, you owe me!” Was all she said as she watched Jane walk away.

“You know if you want to you can leave too. I’ve got the ship.” Joker says from the pilot’s chair.

“Thanks, bro but I don’t feel in the mood. And besides I want to spend time with one of my favorite men.” Annabeth replied as she flops down in the co-pilots chair. Annabeth like Joker, he was one of the best damned pilots she had ever seen and what made it even better is that he didn't really give a crap about military command. He always spoke his mind even though he was, technically, out of line.

“Annabeth don’t get all soft.” Joker says, his face looking slightly redder under his beard. “Anyway, what do you mean, you’re not in the mood?” Awe... She had gone under his skin. That was rare.

“I mean that I have spent all of my time aboard this ship trying to get not only to get Jane laid but also Ash! I am exhausted and would like to spend time with my friend, Joker. Is that so bad?” She said in reply. It wasn't a complete lie, she had spend a good amount of time judging to see if those relationships were wroth everybody's time and effort but really what it came down to was she wasn't ready yet. After what happened to Nihlus, she did feel like starting over. She was mad at herself for thinking that things could have gone farther with that incredibly good looking Turian but she couldn't help it and it made her mad!

“No, I guess not. Breaking regs with Ash and Kaidan but I guess not.” Joker replied. “Really though, why? No offence but your hot… why not take advantage of that?”

“I have. When I want to get laid. But a real relationship. Ha! Yeah right. No one would be able to handle me with my strange life.” Annabeth tells him and again it's not a lie, just not the whole truth.

“Really?” Joker asks looking skeptical.

“You know that my dad is Krogan but how would you feel if I also told you that before that I was held captive on a Batarian ship for months? Would you as an outside objective outsider be able to handle that?” Annabeth asks honestly want a truthful answer. Annabeth trusted Joker a lot and the fact that she told him about the Batarian ship was a huge leap. Not many knew because not many asked about her past and normally they stop caring after they hear her father is Krogan. It was not something she generally brought up but she never hid it or denied it if brought up.

“No… I guess you are right… you would have to start somewhere less crazy like… oh I don’t know… like you're a badass chick who is one of the best fighters the Alliance has.” Joker says sarcastically clearly sensing that the mood needed to be lighted a bit. “Hey, if you’re ever looking…”

Annabeth laughs, “Thanks Joker, but I think of you as a brother and that would be weird.”

Joker joins in on her laughter, “Yeah, but there is a whole category of porn dedicated to that sort of thing you know.”

At that, Annabeth snorts, causing both of them to laugh even harder. The two sat and bantered back and forth for the next half hour, talking from dating to what the up coming missions might have in store. As they chatted Annabeth’s omni-tool went off.

“Hey, J! let me have a look.” Annabeth says in greeting. When it came to getting ready for anything it was always strait to business, once the outfit and everything was ready to go then a normal conversation could be had.

Jane stepped into full view of the screen. She was wearing a nice tight figure hugging lace black dress with quarter length sleeves and stopped just short of the knee. Slowly she spun around to show Annabeth the back which had a nice low cut to it. ‘ _Well? How do I look? Is it too much?_ ’

Annabeth thought for a moment. “Where are you meeting and what are you doing?” Annabeth asked.

‘ _He's picking me up here and we are going to_ _Dinner, not sure where and then I think drinks_.’ Jane replies. Annabeth could tell that Jane was nervous but with Joker sitting there with her, she couldn't really get to in-depth with a normal pep talk.

“Hmmm… Well with that information you look hot and that will work perfect! What do you think Joker?” Annabeth turns the screen for the pilot too see.

“Damn, Commander! You’re looking good.” He says as he stares at the screen with wide eyes and slack jaw.

Annabeth hears Jane laugh, ' _Thanks, Joker. Annie… what shoes should I wear and do I need a necklace?'_  Annabeth turns the screen back towards her and tells Jane how to finish her outfit. Once done Annabeth wishes her luck before ending the call.

“Well Joker, should we move down to the mess to grab some food?” Annabeth says as she starts to stand.

“You know, if you are going to ask a man out, you should really take him somewhere nicer with better food.” Joker deadpans as Annabeth helps him to his feet.

“Yeah?” Annabeth snorts, “Well maybe I’m just trying not to get your hopes up.” She winks at him and they move down towards the CIC.

\--

Over then next couple of hours, Annabeth and Joker sat in the mess playing cards and talking and having some wine that Annabeth had managed to smuggle on board. Technically, booze was not allowed on the ship since it was still kind of apart of the Alliance but no one would say anything. The moment the ship was signed over to Jane it became a Spectre ship so really, it fell into mucky waters when it came to some rules and Annabeth always knew the loopholes so as not to get into to much trouble. They were also still docked and on shore leave so really, who would say anything? Annabeth was in the middle of kicking Joker's ass when Ash and Kaidan strolled in.

“Hey.” Annabeth says as Kaidan moves to sit down.

“Hi.” Kaidan says with a big grin on his face. Annabeth knew immediately that the date had gone well but she needed to hear the whole story, and now!

“Oh, Ash I was hoping that I could have a quick word with you about some stuff in the armory. Shall we?” Annabeth says, trying to make some excuses to get the gossip of the evening.

“Jackson… we're on shore leave.” Kaidan pips up clearly missing what she really meant. For being such a smart guy he was really kinda dumb when it came to women.

“Oh, its okay Kaidan. I actually also had something I wanted to show her.” Ash says, getting the hint and slowly starting to make her way towards the elevator.

It looked like Kaidan was about to say more when Joker intervened. “Dude, their girls… Badass girls but girls. They want to go talk about your date.”

At that, both Ash’s and Kaidan’s faces turned beet red. Annabeth could tell what they were thinking so she decided to put them at ease for now. “Don’t worry you two. No one is going to report you.” Annabeth says, wrapping her arm around Ash and carefully guided her to the elevator, not before grabbing the wine.

Once the door closed the two started talking immediately about the night’s events. Ash explained every detail of the night from the walk to the restaurant to the kiss they had shared before coming back. At some point, Tali and Liara joined the two and the conversation switched to dating in general. Soon, Annabeth had to run and get the two more bottles of wine for the group to share. Annabeth had thought enough ahead that she had even smuggled on Turian wine for Tali. Annabeth made a mental note to restock before they let the Citadel.

“So, Lieutenant-Commander. What about you? Tells us about your last date.” Liara asks.

“Yeah! Th… this shouldbegood.” Tali slurs.

Annabeth does a quick scan of the room to make sure Wrex wasn’t there before she said anything. “Well, alright but not a word to Wrex. Got it?” She made sure that everyone nodded before continuing. “Before J and I were assigned to come to the Normandy one of our really close friends had past away. When we got to Earth, we both agreed that Em wouldn’t want us morning for her by sitting still and letting life go on without us. Anderson had given J the role of XO which kept her busy so I was left on my own. So, I started to get to know the crew, which at the time also had Nihlus, a Turian Spectre.” Annabeth paused to show Liara and Tali a picture.

“He’s good looking.” Tali said.

“Yes,” Annabeth agreed. “Well anyway, he was very, shall we say… interesting. He didn’t talk to anyone because well… he put out an asshole vibe to most people. But I saw right through it. Two nights before the Normandy left port I had finally convinced the man to take me out to dinner. We had many conversation, personal conversations, before but this was to be our first date. Now, with him being a Spectre, I knew it would not be anything but a fling but it would be a good fling if you know what I mean.” She said sending a wink at Ash. “Anyway, we had a lovely evening and with time, it might have turned into something more. But alas it was not meant to be. Saren killed Nihlus and now, I will always wonder if that would have been a recurring experience or not.” Annabeth ends sadly. She hadn’t meant to take the night on such a sad road. Annabeth hadn’t even told her sister about the night with Nihlus but she didn’t want it to get in the way of work so she didn’t and now… well there didn’t really seem a point to it. She lied a little saying that it could have been a fling. She knew that she had shared to much for it to have been a fling it would have either been a relationship or it would have been friends with benefits but never just a fling.

“I am so sorry, Lieutenant-Commander.” Liara says as she looks into her wine glass. “I didn’t mean to… well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine Liara. I only knew the man a couple of weeks and in my line of work I learned not to get to attached. But thank you.” Annabeth says as she gives Liara’s hand a quick squeeze. Again a small lie, she could bare to see people look at her that way. “And I thought I told you to stop with the whole Lieutenant-Commander crap. Call me Annabeth or Jackson. I don’t care.”

“Sorry Lieu… Annabeth.” Liara laughs as the others join. Annabeth couldn’t help but feel that she had found some really awesome new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always felt that Ash and Kaidan would have made a good couple so I decided that I would make it happen. Also more Nihlus because why not!


	34. Chapter 34 (Jane)

“Thanks, Annie!” Jane says to the vid screen.

‘ _No problem. Good luck and make good choices._ ’ Annie says with a wink before ending the call.

Jane laughs at that. Since the two had reunited Annie has said that every time she has gone on a date and she said it to Annie if the roles were reversed. It was a tradition now and it was very comforting to hear. Jane paced the living room waiting for Garrus to arrive. She had already tried and failed at finding something to watch and with not having Annie here she was starting to panic. She was contemplating adding to her make-up but she knew that that would be a horrible idea but she couldn't help it. The nerves were getting to her. ‘Get a grip! It’s just a date… with a good looking Turian who is also apart of your team… Stop it!’ Jane was really starting to hate the little voice inside her head when the door chimed to inform her that Garrus had arrived.

Jane took a deep breath as she walked to the door. She paused for a brief moment, then hit the controls. “Hey, Garrus.” She smiled up at the Turian standing in front of her. Jane did a quick scan of Garrus noting that he was looking good in a blue suit that brought out his blue eyes even more then normal.

“Hello, Shepard… You look lovely.” Garrus replied after taking a moment to do his own scan of Jane. She could see that he was also nervous which actually helped her calm down. He was in this with her so how bad could it be. If it didn't work they had a story to tell and laugh about.

“Thanks!” Jane smiled which he returned.

“You ready to go?” He asked looking behind her. Jane guessed that he was looking to see if Annie was there but she didn't read to much into it.

“Yeah let’s go.” Jane grabbed the jacket that she stole from Annie’s closet before locking the door. “Where are we headed?” She asked curiously. All she knew was that Garrus told her to wear something nice, so she did, but now she wanted to know more.

“You’ll see.” Was all Garrus said giving her a cheeky grin when she let out a frustrated groan.

The two made it to a closest transit station and were soon on their way. The evening started great, with a nice restaurant that had plenty dextro and levo options. The two talked about their families and why they choose the career paths they did, then moved into talking about past missions. Jane loved how easy it was to talk to Garrus, she didn’t feel like she had to try. With others in the past they were either intimidated by her or they worshiped the ground she walked on. It was always awkward and it generally left a bad taste in her mouth. She always loved when she went somewhere on vacation and could pretend to be someone else for a while, no Commander Shepard the hero of the Bilitz but just Jane Shepard the woman. Garrus had a way of making her feel like both, which was a new experience. As they talked the conversation switched from missions to weapons.

“I don’t know Garrus, I’m a pretty good shot.” Jane said as the waiter came over with the bill.

“Oh, really? Well my plan was to go to one of the nicer bars but now I think the gun range might be better.” Garrus says, tilting his head to the side with a low soft growl. Jane loved the what the made her feel and she wanted it to continue.

“Hey! I’m okay with that. If it means I am going to the range in a dress so be it.” She smiled knowing that the dress wasn't a hindrance as long as they stuck with guns.

“Alright let’s go.” Garrus said as he gave the waiter his credit chit. The waiter seemed to be perplexed about their conversation and Jane had to restrain herself from laughing.

They spent the next two to three hours at the range shooting different types of guns, trying to prove who was the better shot with what. They found themselves trash talking more then flirting but in a way it made the night even better. When it had came to either of them trying to flirt it came out slightly awkward but this seemed right.

All to soon the two found themselves agreeing that they were not going to be able to settle this disagreement at the range and decided that they should call it a night. Jane had had an amazing night and had to admit that it was her best first date she had ever had. She didn't know what most people would think about that but she didn't really care. When they exited the range, Garrus got the two a skycab and drove Jane home. Once their he even walked her to the door, even after she informed him that it was not necessary, saying that he was raised to always walk a lady to the door.

“I had a great time tonight Garrus, Thank you.” Jane said as she looked up at him. She couldn't help but get a little lost in his eyes as she waited for him to reply.

“The pleasure was all mine, Jane. I had not intended to go to the range but I think it was for the better.” Garrus replied with a crooked half grin.

“Yes, I agree.” Jane smirked. “I think this was the best first date I have been on in years.”

“First date, huh. I guess that means you would be willing to do this again?” Garrus said, his voice a little lower then normal. Jane was having trouble trying not to reach out and kiss the man. She couldn’t help the feeling she got when his voice went that low and he’s subharmonics going as they were. But she had to stop herself, she wasn't familiar with Turian customs and she didn't want to do anything that might offend him.

“Yes. I think I would, Office Vakarian.” At that, Garrus growled, nothing intimidating but almost like he liked it when she called him that, lustful almost.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Garrus said taking a step forward. He placed one of his hands under her chin and gave Jane a nice soft lingering human kiss before turning and walking away.

Jane barely remembered opening the door and locking it again. She stood with her back leaned up against the wall for several minutes just thinking about what just happened. Garrus had kissed her is such a way that Jane felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Apparently, Garrus had put in some research before this date to know what to do when it came to the end of the night. Jane decided that she was going to have a nice cold shower before she went to bed. She would only get a few hours in before she had to be back on the Normandy but that didn’t matter. After what had just happened she doubted she would get much sleep anyway.

\--

Over then next few weeks, the crew of the Normandy had started to form a bond that even outsider would have to admit was more of a family then it was crew. Jane was quickly considering Ash, Liara and Tali to be sisters and Kaidan and Joker were her new brothers. Even Wrex was warming up to everyone, which Jane and Annie were happy to see.

Over the weeks, the crew was asked to help out the Alliance on several missions that ‘only they’ could do. One of the missions took them to Luna base to help with a rouge VI, another lead them through four different systems to shut down Geth outposts and another had them looking for Admail Kahoku who had disappeared after he had tried to find who was responsible for the trap that killed his men. When they found him, it was too late and there was nothing that they could do. Who ever this Cerberus was, the crew agreed they needed to be stopped. The crew was even able to bring down a crime organization that dealt with red sand and slavery. Between Annie and Jane, they were even able to convince Helena Blake, the now leader, to disband the group and do something good instead of running a crime organization that had been tainted with slavery.

“Okay everyone, we are only on the Citadel to restock then we are off to Feros.” Jane told the crew. “Annie, Garrus and Wrex you are to come with me to meet Nassana Dantius everyone else is to remain aboard to help with restock.”

As the team disembarks form the ship Jane notices an Alliance Admiral standing by the docking bay and headed strait over to him. As they approached he addressed them. “Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, Fifth Fleet.” He salutes.

Both Jane and Annie salute, “Commander Shepard, SSV Normandy. This is Lieutenant-Commander Jackson.”

“You don’t know who I am, do you Commander? I command the 63rd Scout Flotilla. You and the Normandy were slated for my unit after shakedown. Then the Council go their paws… claws. Tentacles, Whatever. They got them on our ship. And you.” The Admiral says with disapproval clear in his voice. Jane did indeed have no clue that they were to be assigned to the Admiral but she acted as she was expected to and answered the best she could. “I still serve the Alliance, sir. As a Spectre, I can advance our interests to the Council.” Jane replies calmly.

“Hmph. You still know what colour you blood is, Shepard? I don’t begrudge the politicians’ decision to throw you to the Council. It’s an… opportunity. I do begrudge this over designed piece of tin, though.” He says. Jane had to ignore the jab he made about the colour of her blood but she was not going to allow him to bash her ship.

“The Normandy is a fine ship, sir. She’s served us well so far.” Jane tells him trying not to get mad.

“It’s a gimmick, Commander. Useless in a stand-up fight. This experiment diverted billions form our appropriations bills. For the same price, we could’ve had a heavy cruiser. But no, we had to make nice to the Turians. Throw money at a co-developed boondoggle. I’m here to make an inspection, Commander. Normandy is an Alliance warship. I intend to see she’s up to snuff.” The Admiral tells them. Jane had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Of course this man would see it useless to create allies and of course he would be mad that the ship wasn't a heavy cruiser. She could tell just by looking at the Admiral he was the old school fighting instead of opportunistic.

“We would be honored to show her to you, Admiral.” Jane replies. It was a lie but he was still an Admiral and she had to show him the respect that he deserved.

“I’ll just bet. Wait here. I won’t be long.” And with that the Admiral enters the ship.

“He seems nice.” Garrus grumbles causing the others to laugh.

About 20 minutes later the Admiral reappeared, “Commander. I’m not happy.”

'That's not shocking' Jane thought but instead said, “I’m sorry to hear that, sir.”

“Who designed that CIC? Putting the Commander aft of everyone else is ineffective. What if he needs to needs to discuss with the operators towards the bow?” Jane thought, 'well he could walk' but that seemed inappropriate.

“Modified Turian style. They prefer commanders looking over their subordinates, rather than in the middle of them. We wanted to see how effectively they can command with that setup.” Jane actually found that she liked how the CIC was set up and with the comm it was quite easy for her to talk to Joker. If she wanted to talk in privet with him then, yes, she had to walk but who cares?

“Hm. Reasonable goal. But they should have studied that in a lab rather than on a front-line warship. I had to shake my head at that drive core of yours. 120 billion credits of element zero to make this thing able to move without giving itself away. You realize we could make drive cores for 12,000 fighters with that money? What good is it to hide for a few hours, anyway? Useless.” Jane again had to bite her tough before she spoke. Could the man not see how many practical uses there were for a ship like that. It could make ship gorilla warfare, not that it would be the most practical but it definitively could change the way you fought a war in a ship.

“We can loiter in an enemy system and monitor traffic, or drop infiltration teams on enemy worlds. Normandy can be more effective than the Salarian STG.” Jane said instead of calling him out on his lack of imagination.

“Maybe, maybe. But that’s not the job of a proper warship. We’re supposed to find and kill the enemy fleet, not count how many times their garrison goes to the bathroom. And we need to talk about your crew, Commander. Krogan? Asari? Turians? What are you thinking, Commander? You can’t allow alien nationals free access to Alliance equipment!” There was a growl form behind Jane that told her Wrex was not happy but she sensed Annie shift to stop the Krogan form doing anything crazy. Jane was now getting angry with the Admiral and she was getting to the point of telling him off but she knew that would just make matters worse.

“Between Saren and the Geth, we have enough enemies out here. Treating the other species with suspicion and distrust won’t win hearts and minds.” Jane replied in as reasonable tone she could manage.

"That assumes the hearts and minds are worth winning. That hasn’t been proven yet." The Admiral was saying but she could tell that he was getting nervous since Wrex was still growling lowly and probably giving him a very terrifying glare.

"Wrex" Jane said in a tone that told him not to do anything stupid. Wrex's growl stopped momentarily but not completely. That is until Annie stepped up. "Dad. Stop glaring at the Admiral."

The Admiral huffed when Annie said that but he was clearly trying to put on an act like he had known all along that Wrex was her father and that he wasn't intimidated but Wrex. Jane had to bite down on her tough to stop her from laughing in the Admiral's face. "You have anything else to say, Commander? Any other justifications for the state of this vessel?" Clearly trying to regain control of the situation.

“I think Normandy is a good ship, sir. Even if you disagree, you have to see that her joint construction and multiracial crew make the Alliance look better.” Jane told him diplomatically.

“Your job is to look good, Commander. The Alliance Navy’s is to win wars. I’m not convinced Normandy isn’t a waste of taxpayer money. But I am convinced that you believe otherwise. And that you’ll use it to its best ability. I’ll be submitting a report to the Joint Military Council. It will not be as negative as I had planned. Good hunting, Commander Shepard. Make us proud.” And with that he was gone.

“Wasn’t he a ray of sunshine.” Wrex commented, cause the others to laugh again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have always thought that if Shepard and Garrus were to go on a date it would more than likely end with them shooting stuff so this was my way of letting that happen. Also is it just me or did the Admiral that came and inspected the ship seem to be a little dumb when it came to using the Normandy's abilities in warfare? I mean, come on how isn't it an advantage to be able to move without being seen? Yeah, yeah if they the other side had windows they would be seen but think about it. If they weren't picked up by a scan then how would the enemy be able to target them?? Come on Admiral! Get you shit together!


	35. Chapter 35 (Annabeth)

“Khalisah bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Would you answer a few questions for our viewers?” Miss Al-Jilani asks as she makes her way towards the group. Annabeth gave the woman a once over as she made she way towards them. There was something about about the woman that Annabeth didn't like.

“What do you want to know?” Jane answers. Personally, Annabeth would have told the reporter to go away but with Jane being a Spectre, it was probably better that she didn’t upset the press.

“You’ve been given a unique position to represent our race. People want to get a sense of how you’ll do that.” At that, Miss Al-Jilani turned on her camera bot. “Humans have been trying to get the respect of the galactic community for 26 years. With that in mind, what are your feelings on being the first human Spectre?”

“The Spectres represent the best of every species in the galaxy. To be asked to join them is an honor.” Annabeth could tell that Jane had switched to Commander mode because she a straighten her posture and her face was a mask of acceptance. Jane had always had that ability to turn on and off her 'Commander mode' that Annabeth still seemed to struggle with. Watching it happen, Annabeth was always impressed.

“Some have said your appointment is the Council ‘Throwing humans a bone.’ Have you encountered any situations where the Citadel asked you to place its needs before the needs of Earth?” What kind of question was that, Annabeth thought.

“The Council is concerned with the needs of the whole galactic community. We’re part of that community now. Our needs are on their agenda, but we’re one of many.” Annabeth was impressed with Jane's reply. She knew deep down that the Council only cared about the Council but you really couldn't tell the people back home that.

“You really do believe that, don’t you?” Jane nods in answer. “You’ve been given command of an advanced human warship for your missions. Is there anything you would like to say about it?”

“Actually, the Normandy was co-developed by Human and Turian engineers. Its design incorporates many innovations. All of which are classified, I’m afraid.” After dealing with the Admiral that was probably one of the easiest questions she could have answered.

“So, the Turians have knowledge of the Normandy that is being kept secret from the Alliance public? Do you think it was appropriate to hand Earth’s most advanced warship over to the Citadel?” What cool-aid was this woman drinking? Really did she really think they would release blueprints of the Normandy to the public because a few Turians had been apart of its creation? Really?

“I wasn’t aware it had been ‘handed over’ to anyone. I’m in command, and last I checked, I’m human. Same goes for my crew.” Well, for the most part, Annabeth thought.

“Human, yes. But you do work for the Citadel now, Commander. One last question, Commander. Rumors back home say you’re tracking a ‘rogue Spectre’ named Saren. Do you have any comment on that?”

“I’m afraid I can’t comment on whatever my current assignment may or may not be.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll find out. The eyes of Earth are on you. Don’t let us down. Thank you for your time, Commander Shepard.”

Once Miss Al-Jilani was far enough away Annabeth turned to Jane. “I would have punched her in the face instead but hay that's just me. I really don’t like her. I feel she will do anything to get a story. We should watch out for her.”

Jane laughed as they started towards the elevators. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The four made their way up to the Presidium to find Nassana Dantius. It didn’t take much looking since she was in the embassies bar. “Commander Shepard. I am Nassana Dantius. I see you got my message.” Miss Dantius says as the group approached.

“It sounded like you needed some help.” Jane replies.

“I do.” Miss Dantius tells them. She explains that her sister, Dahlia, worked on a ship that did business out in the Traverse and that her ship had been attacked. She told them how she had received a message that her sister was alive but the rest of the crew was dead and Dahlia hand been taken prisoner. The Slavers demanded a ransom which Miss Dantius paid but they never released her sister. She told the group that she couldn't report the matter to C-Sec now because she is a diplomat and she hadn't reported the extortion before paying. This could now put her in jail. Annabeth wasn't really sure about the woman but Jane agreed to help her so there was nothing for it.

“Well that was nice of you.” Garrus says as they walk away.

“Well I couldn’t just leave her high and dry now could I.” Jane replies.

“Um… High and dry?” Garrus asks.

“It’s a saying meaning left helpless in a situation because you aren't given something you need or were promised.” Annabeth tells him. She always found it funny when she had to explain a human saying. It was just so second nature that some where hard to explain.

“Oh. Got it.” Garrus nods.

‘ _Commander Shepard? Sorry to bother you. This is Lieutenant Girard down in the docking bay. There is a woman here, uh… She was rescued form Batarian slavers a few weeks ago. She’s from Mindoir. I guess she was taken in the raid on your town._ ’

After a moments pause at the intrusion to their comms, Jane shares a quick look with Annabeth before reaching for her comm to reply. “She’s been a slave for the past 13 years? Is she all right?”

‘ _Not really. She’s a little messed up. She got free somehow. Grabbed a gun from one of my guys. Now she’s held up in the docking bay. She, uh… She says she wants to die. I’d hoped you talk to her. It’s a long shot, but you went through the same thing. The raid. I figured maybe you could talk her out of her tree._ ’

“I’m no my way Lieutenant. Sit tight.” Jane replies. The group was off and running. Annabeth’s mind was racing. Could it be that one of the other children were still alive! She had to know.

Once they reached the docking bay the Lieutenant told them where she was and that he had a sedative for her if they could get close enough.

“J… I think I should talk to her. I was there you know.” Annabeth says. Jane gave her a once over clearly concerned but apparently was okay with what she saw. "Alright, but we’ll be close, Okay." Annabeth nodded, took a deep breath and headed towards the woman’s hiding spot.

“S… Stop! What do you… What are you?” The woman said with gun raised.

Annabeth put her hands up to show the woman that she wasn't a treat before talking. “My name is Annabeth. Lieutenant Girard asked me to come talk to you. What’s your name?” Annabeth asks quietly.

“Animals don’t get names. The masters put their symbols on her. Hot metal all over her back. She screams when they do it.” She says. 'Animals!?' Annabeth thought. 'How dare they call her an animal!' Annabeth couldn't believe it.

“You’re not an animal.” Annabeth continues trying to ignore her shaking voice, from anger or from sorrow she wasn't sure. “Your parents? What did they call you? Do you remember them?”

“She remembers a lot of things. Tabitha. They call her that. Sh… she doesn’t remember the rest. Leave her alone.” Tabitha pleads.

Annabeth’s heart was breaking looking at this girl. “Tabitha. That’s a pretty name. You know Tabitha I was on Mindoir, so was my sister Jane.” Annabeth points at Jane and she takes a small step forward so Tabitha could see her.

“Lying. You get hit for lying.” Tabitha says. Annabeth could tell that she was loosing her so she hummed a soft melody while she waited for her to calm down. Annabeth could also her Garrus behind her cooing softly trying to help as best he could.

“No, not lying. Tabitha, do you remember the raid? You and four others were outside playing, the night of the dance.” Annabeth pushes.

“Yes, she… she remembers. The music could be heard from far away.” she replies with a wistfully voice like she was reliving the moment.

“Yes, you could. It was beautiful.” Annabeth chances a small step towards the woman. When she didn’t react, Annabeth continued. “Do you remember the girl who was a few years older then you, who helped you?”

“Sh… She was older. She tried to help. Hide us she did. Kept us quite.” Tabitha says, trying to remember.

“Yes, she hid you and the others behind some creates in the shipping yard.” Annabeth pressed some more.

“She was brave. Sh… she was strong. When master’s saw us, he tried to kill us. She stopped it.”

Annabeth nodded as she remembered as well. “Yes, she threw up a biotic shield to stop the bullets. She fought against the others who tried to capture us.” Annabeth was slowly making her way closer to the woman. “When the men got close enough one of them hit her on the head. Right here.” Annabeth points to her scar. “Tabitha, that was me. Do you remember?”

Tabitha looked at Annabeth for a moment before nodding her head as if accepting the information.

“How did you get here? Did you escape?” Annabeth was fighting now with all her might not to cry. She knew that breaking sown now would not help this girl.

“She can’t escape. They have chains. Wires. Needles. You go too far, they take your brains away. Animals like her come. Animals with guns. They make the masters explode. She tries to fix the masters. So, they won’t be mad at her. She puts all the reds and purples back in, but they don’t move. The other animals take her.”

“You were afraid. All you’d known for 13 years was the ‘masters’ abuse. So, you tried to heal them.” Annabeth comforts her knowing that even though she had been a slave, she had been stripped of any sort of 'normalcy' she had ever really known.

“She doesn’t want to see other animals. They’re not real. They can’t be real. They can’t see her. If the animals can see her, then this is real. But it can’t be. The wires. The chains. The hitting. This doesn’t happen to her. It’s another girl. A dirty girl. A stupid girl. She deserves it! It… It happens to her. Doesn’t it? They see her, so it’s real. She doesn’t want it to be real.” Annabeth was broken inside but she had to keep it together, for Tabitha.

“Tabitha, this will make you sleep. If you fall asleep, they’ll take you to a place where you can get better.” Annabeth says gently.

Tabitha slowly reaches for the pill, snatches it from Annabeth's hand and swallows it. “Will she have bad dreams?” She asks quietly.

Annabeth hugs the girl tight to her, “You’ll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you’ll be in it.”

“She likes that. It hurts when she… when I remember me. But she wants to remember.” Tabitha says as she falls into sleep.

Jane steps up beside Annabeth and places a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go tell the Lieutenant.”

Annabeth just nods and walks a little farther along the dock. She needed to be alone to process what just happened. She had only made it 20 feet or so before she felt the sobs starting to build. She ran to the end of the docks before crashing against the wall. Annabeth let herself slide down until she was curled up in a comfortable position and started to cry. Annabeth hadn’t told anyone about the events leading up to her capture. She always just said that she was knocked unconscious and did remember but now she relived it. She had always regretted not being able to protect those kids and after seeing what happened to them, it was too much.

Annabeth barley noticed when Jane sat down beside her. Jane made soothing sounds as she ran her fingers through Annabeth’s hair. It took close to 10 minutes for Annabeth to regain control of herself. When she looked up she could see that Garrus and Wrex were close by making sure that no one could see her but close enough to hear what was going on with the two girls.

“It’s my fault.” Annabeth says as she turns to look at her sister.

“No! Annie, it was not your fault. You were just a kid. How could this have been your fault?” Jane says. Annabeth could tell that her sister was trying to fight back tears of her own.

“I got them into hiding. All six of us were hidden in a good spot but when I hadn’t heard fighting in a while I chanced a look. That’s when _he_ spotted me. I blew our cover. I was able to stop the bullets but I wasn’t strong enough to fight them all.” She sobbed out. “If I hadn’t been so dumb and looked, I could have saved Tabitha and the others form what happened to them.”

“Okay, let’s just say for a second that you didn’t look at that time. Who says that they wouldn’t have found you anyway? Annie, none of what happened was your fault. You were 13 years old at the time and you did more then most would have been able to do at that age, hell at any age. Tabitha was _not_ your fault!” Jane tells her.

“Shepard’s right. They probably would have found you eventually. Batarians aren’t known for being sloppy during raids. The fact that you got caught shouldn’t matter. That girl is alive because of your efforts.” Garrus says walking over to her.

“They’re right Bug. There is nothing you could have done to stop what happened. You need to forgive yourself.” Wrex adds. Annabeth could see the worry in Wrex's eyes and knew that he would only say what he truly knew to be fact.

Annabeth stayed quite for a few moments before eventually nodding her head. “Your right. It just all hit home you know. Seeing Tabitha like that. If I hadn’t been a biotic that could have been me.”

“But it wasn’t. And now you just helped that girl get a fresh start on life.” Jane tells her. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the ship and we can have a glass of wine. How does that sound?”

Annabeth chokes out a laugh, “That sounds prefect.” At that, the two stood and made their way back to the Normandy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth has to deal with part of her past in an ugly way. Hopefully she can deal with it in a healthy way!


	36. Chapter 36 (Jane)

While on their way to Feros, Admiral Hackett had contacted Jane to ask for her help. There was apparently some nuclear bomb that had been launched into space during the first contact war that had activated. Jane wasn’t really thrilled to be pulled off course yet again but it was something that needed to be address so she called for Annie, Garrus and Kaidan to suit up. Annie had been doing okay since the incident with Tabitha but Jane thought that a mission was just what she needed.

“Well here is where the single is coming form.” Annie tells the group as they reach an underground bunker.

“Someone had to have moved it.” Kaidan says. “I mean, how else could it get under ground.”

“Look alive people.” Jane says as they make their way inside an uneasy feeling coming over her. The group were surprised at the lack of resistance inside the bunker, they had expected at least a few enemies. The area was filled with creates and other piece’s of equipment but there wasn’t a sole in sight. That's when Jane started to feel like something was really wrong. They entered one of the side rooms, which contained the bomb in question, they heard an explosion behind them.

“That was a detonator! Fuck my life!” Annie grumbles. Jane was trying to come up with a plan to deal with the boom and get them out when a communicator came to life.

“Shepard. At last. Ah… and I see Jackson is with you… good.” The man on the holo said.

“You have us at a disadvantage.” Jane says glaring at the man.

“You don’t remember me. No matter. I remember you. I never forget anyone I’ve fought. My name is Elanos Haliat. I doubt you know it. Who do you think runs the Terminus Clans, Shepard? Hm? Thousands of pirates, slavers, criminals of every shape?” Haliat asks. Jane wasn't familiar with Haliat but she could tell that she had somehow pissed him off which, with her, wasn't anything new.

“In most criminal organizations, it’s the one who’s recognized as the most successful.” Annie says. Jane could see Annie's mind racing trying place this man and what he was to them as well but seemed to be as stumped as her.

“That’s correct. The one who kills the most men. Seizes the most ships. Pillages the most colonies. Several years ago, I was the strongest. I used my influence to assemble a fleet. We would drive your kind out of the Verge.” Haliat explains. 'Your kind' Jane thought, what does he mean by 'your kind'? He was human so he obviously wasn't talking about humans so what? Was he talking Alliance or maybe Council abiding citizens? That's when the missing piece fell into place.

“You’re the one behind the attack on Elysium!” Jane says, outraged. She could her Annie and Kaidan’s sudden intake of breath and Garrus’s low growl.

“I was the motivator. The instigator. The one who promised glory and riches for sacking the largest Human colony in the cluster. The one blamed when it failed. Failed! Failed because of you. Your damnable holding action.” Haliat growls at her. Jane was kind of shocked that the man still held a grudge against her for that. It had been years since the attack on Elysium but some people don't know when to let go.

“My crew will come for me.” Jane said with more confidence then she felt. She knew that they would come but what she was worried about was them being ambushed when they did.

“Let them. We’ll be ready. An Alliance warship would make a fine prize. Oh, and if you haven’t noticed, the ores here are laced with heavy metals. I’m afraid you suit radios aren’t powerful enough to transmit out.” Haliat says with a smug smile. This was what Jane was fearing but she wouldn't show it, no to him.

“We’ll fine a way out of here.” Annie says with much more confidence then Jane would think as she leers at him.

“Mha! I rather doubt that. Goodbye, Shepard, Jackson.” He said as his holo disappeared.

“Great! Now what?” Kaidan asks. Jane could hear the slight panic in his voice and wondered if maybe he was claustrophobic.

“We got air and light, and the Normandy’s still in orbit. Let’s look for another way out.” Annie says being the optimist.

“Um… guys, the boom is active!” Garrus growls, as he kneels down to start disengaging the bomb. Jane and Kaidan both rush to help while Annie stood by and watched. Jane knew that Annie had very little technical skill and was happy that she stood back and out of the way. She was also wishing she had Tali here to help. Jane, Garrus and Kaidan were good but Tali was amazing when it came to anything technical.

“I think I got it!” Garrus says as he cuts two of the wires. As he does, the count down on the bomb stops with only a minute left.

“Nicely done Gar!” Annie says, slapping him on the back.

“Gar? What is it with you and shortening names?” Garrus grumbles with slight annoyance.

Annie laughs, “If you don’t like it, just say so.”

“No. but if you call me Gar then I get to call you Annie.” Garrus says with one mandible flared into a Turian smirk.

“Oh that’s just mean, Vakarian.” Annie says with mock hurt.

“I’m so sorry Jackson, it wont happen again.” He banters back.

“Umm… if you two are done, we have to find a way out of here.” Kaidan says, definitely looking a little claustrophobic. At that, Annie nodded and took the lead as they searched for a way out, that was her area of expertise. It didn’t take her long to find a way out and once out of the bunker the group found themselves above Haliat’s camp.

“Well that’s convenient.” Kaidan says to no one in particular.

Annie and Jane both nodded their head, agreeing. Jane thought it a little dumb and cocky for Haliat to place his base so close but it was good for them so she wasn't going to complain. “Okay, I think that if Garrus and J stay up here and snipe, you and I can find away down and hit them with the good stuff.” Annie says turning to Kaidan.

Jane thought on that for a moment, it was a sound plan and would allow all of them to use their skills to the best of their ability. “Agreed. We will wait until you are in position before we strike.” Jane replies. Both Annie and Kaidan made their way down and disappeared from view as Garrus and Jane tried to find the right spot to set up.

“You know this would be a good spot to continue where we left things at the range.” Garrus says giving her a sideways look.

“Yeah? Alright, Vakarian if you think you can handle the disappointment.” Jane laughs.

“Oh, I think it is you who should be ready for disappointment Shepard.” Is all he says in response.

Jane just rolls her eyes and sets up beside him. “Any sign of Annie or Kaidan?” She asks as she lays down.

“Not yet.” He turns and looks at her with a small grin. Jane can hear his low subharmonics going.

“What?” She asks turning her head towards him.

“You look good like that.” He says, his voice going low.

Jane shakes her head trying to clear it before she leans over to him batting her eyes. “If you think use a sexy voice and growls will help you win, your wrong.”

“Really… you think my voice is sexy?” He replies with a glint in his eyes.

“Shut up, Vakarian.” Jane says as she looks through her scope. She can hear Garrus chuckling beside her and was just about to say something more when she saw Annie and Kaidan come into view.

‘ _In position and moving in.’_ Annie’s voice says over the comm.

“You take left, I got right.” Jane says. She knew that Garrus understood what was to be done. It was several minutes of battle and both Jane and Garrus were doing the best they could to take down the enemies but the criminals soon knew where to hide to stay out of their scope. Annie and Kaidan did their best to throw them from cover but at one point, Annie had gotten distracted by a charging Krogan. After Annie had switched to her shotgun and dispatch the Krogan, Jane saw her zero in on someone. Jane followed her line of sight to her target. It was Haliat. Jane didn’t have a good angle so she ordered Garrus to see if he could take the bastard down.

“No, the angles wrong unless he moves I can’t get him from here.”

“Damn it!” She says. “Annie don’t do anything stupid we can’t cover you from here.”

‘ _Oh, you know me.’_ Was all that came in response.

“Shit!” At that, Jane was off the ground and heading down the hill to try and get a better angle. She could hear Garrus behind and wasn’t surprised to find that Kaidan had moved to Annie’s side. ‘Bless that man’ was all Jane could think. After working with each other for several weeks, the team had grown to know exactly what to do with out being ordered. They had even picked up on when Annie was going to do one of her crazy plans and could at least back her up.

Jane wasn’t at all surprised when Annie jumped out of cover and charged the man. She threw a warp as she did and crashed into him hard, pining him to the ground as she fired her gun. As she did, Kaidan, Jane and Garrus all did their part to provide the crazy woman with covering fire.

Soon it was over and Jane ended up beside her sister. “That was dumb you know.”

“Not even top ten material.” Annie wheezed.

“Your hurt!” Jane said instantly dropping to her knees beside her.

“Just a flesh wound.” Annie jokes but Jane can tell it was more.

Jane forced her sister to lay down and started taking off her armor. She knew it was bad because Annie just let her do it without complaint. Jane ordered Garrus to get the Mako and drive it over so Annie wouldn’t have to move. Jane then called the Normandy as Kaidan continued to help with Annie’s gear. Jane was in shock when she saw Annie’s stomach. She had been shot yes but also had some bad bruising all over her stomach and ribs.

“Bastard shot me as I crashed into him. The bruises are from the Krogan.” Annie told her calmly as if this happened all the time.

“I am so mad at you right now!” Jane says. She was mad at Annie and her stupid plan of charging Haliat while clearly injured but she was thankful that this was all that was wrong.

Annie lifted her hands, “Yeah. Once I’m in the med bay you, Wrex and Karin can all yell and tell me how stupid I was… I won’t be able to run.” She smiled.

“Don’t forget Garrus and I.” Kaidan said as he applied medigel to the area.

“Right.” She grunted. “How could I forget.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Annabeth, stop being so silly and charging a man with a gun!
> 
> From now on I am going to try and post a least one new chapter every 3-4 days but with me being back at work it may very. I hope you are enjoying the story and thanks for the kudos and comments!


	37. Chapter 38 (Tali)

Tali was standing in the cargo bay along with Ash, Liara, Dr. Chakwas and a very distraught Wrex. When Joker announced over the comes that Annabeth had been hurt and that they would need to land to get her aboard the ship Wrex nearly lost it. Tali had heard the commotion and came out to see if there was anything she could do to help. Tali knew that Annabeth wouldn’t want Wrex destroying the place just because she was injured. The bay door started to open and the moment it was fully open Dr. Chakwas and Wrex were marching down the ramp followed by the rest of the ground crew.

“What happened!?” Wrex growled at the other three.

“Dad! I’m fine. Just… Arg… flesh wound. Really!” Annabeth said as Kaidan and Garrus lowered her onto the awaiting stretcher.

“Wrex, she was being Annie! I have all ready yelled at her while we were waiting.” Shepard told the Krogan trying to calm him.

“I’m sorry but anymore yelling can be done after I have examined her.” Dr. Chakwas told the group.

As Annabeth was rolled past Tali could see the blood all over her under suit, “Keelah!”

“Ash could you grab the rest of Annie’s armor for me. Kaidan and Garrus go to the med bay and get checked out as well. Wrex, I’ll talk to you once the Chakwas has checked me over and we can come up with a game plan to deal with Annie. The rest of you we will have a meeting in the med bay once Chakwas will let us.” Shepard told the group as she headed over to the armory to take off her gear.

“Ah… Wrex why don’t you, Liara and I go wait in the mess. Then we can all help plan how we should deal with Annabeth.” Tali suggest as she watched him pace back and forth. She saw Shepard give her a thankful smile out of the corner of her eye.

“Ugh… Alright.” Was all he said as he stormed to the elevator.

\--

An hour later the group was assembled around Annabeth’s bed to have a meeting and discuss what had happened and the conquests. Shepard played video recording from the ground teams suits to show the others what had happened. After Wrex had yelled his voice horse, Garrus jumped in then Ash, Kaidan, Tali and lastly Shepard. By the end, Tali could tell that Annabeth was trying not to laugh.

“Okay, Okay! I get it. Jesus, calm your tits! I will try not to do it again.” Annabeth told the group. Everyone knew that it was a lie, Annabeth was going to be Annabeth but it was the thought that counted, right?

Tali and Garrus shared a quick glance before Liara asked, “Ahh… Calm your tits?”

“Human expression meaning calm down.” Annabeth told her.

“Umm… Right.” Garrus responded raising one of the plates above his eyes. “Because saying calm your tits is so much easier then calm down.”

Annabeth laughed at that, “Yeah, well I like to change things up.” Tali couldn't believe that Annabeth was in such high spirits after not only being seriously injured but being yelled at by the entire ground team.

Somehow, Tali wasn't quite sure how, Annabeth was able to switch the topic to the next mission which was finally to be Feros. Shepard told the group they would be there in two days and that the ground team would be Garrus, Wrex and Tali. Tali was as surprised as Annabeth who almost blew a gasket at being confined to the ship.

“What!? I should be going too!” Annabeth yelled.

“No!” Was everyone’s response. Even Dr. Chakwas agreed that Annabeth was to take it easy for the next several days and if she didn't she would be sedated. It took a lot of convincing but finally Annabeth agreed with a huff. “Fine! But I will be in the cockpit with Joker the entire time and will be listening in."

‘ _I guess I can live with that. Better then you going out and getting shot again.’_  Joker’s voice said over the comm. Tali found it very comforting and a bit creepy that the pilot always seemed to be listening but he was as much a part of the team as any of them.

“I can live with that too.” Shepard agreed. “Now after Feros we are to head back to the Citadel for some ship upgrades and supplies. That will take approximately one week which means shore leave for the entire crew.” Everyone was quite happy to hear this news since the last shore leave was so short.

“Hey, since I am bedridden for the night can we have a movie night? Everyone can come in here and we can eat popcorn! I’m sure that there are some dexto snacks too.” Annabeth asks.

“Can it be Fleet and Flotilla!?” Tali squeaks.

“I haven’t seen that yet. I have been meaning too. I have heard nothing but good things about it.” Shepard chimes in.

“Sounds fun!” Ash adds. Wrex, Garrus, Kaidan, Dr. Chakwas and Joker all agree that they would join as well.

Once the meeting was over, everyone let the med bay to finish up their duties before the movie. Tali had to hand it to Annabeth. She had gone from being yelled at by everyone to everyone forgiving her at the drop of a hat. Tali was going to have to ask how she did it. Soon their sift ended and the group had all gathered in the med bay, Tali joined Annabeth and Liara in Annabeth’s bed, Garrus and Shepard were in the bed to their right and Joker was in the bed to the left, leaving Ash, Kaidan, Wrex and Dr. Chakwas to sit in the chairs between the beds. Ash and Kaidan were sitting so close that Tali thought that if they got any closer they would only need one chair. Not that Tali was bothered by it. On the Flotilla, she was used to seeing couples like this but for some reason the Alliance had strict rules about dating someone on your ship. Apparently Garrus and Shepard were fine because Garrus wasn’t Alliance and Shepard was now a Spectre so she was more than likely above that rule now if she wanted to be.

The group sat and enjoyed the movie while eating snacks and commentating the movie. Tali could tell that the others were enjoying the movie and was happy that she hap picked one they all liked. She had been worried that Wrex, Joker and Garrus would hate it but she could tell that they were secretly enjoying it. Once the movie was over the group agreed that this should become a weekly thing. Annabeth suggested on making a schedule for who should pick the movie when, this way it gave everyone a chance to choose a movie.

“Okay everyone, time for bed. We have training tomorrow in the Cargo Bay. Annie, since you can’t participate I’m going to have you watch and help with people’s form, deal?” Shepard said as she looked pointedly at Annabeth.

All Shepard got in response was a shrug and a half hearted “Okay, Mom.” which caused everyone to laugh.

\--

Tali woke the next morning feeling fully rested which, since joining the Normandy, she had found hard due to the quiet. She slowly got up and headed to the mess to grab some food and was not surprised to find the rest of the ground crew already eating. Tali grabbed some food and went and sat down beside Annabeth.

“How are you feeling, Annabeth?” Tali asked as she started to eat.

“Oh, not bad. Doc says I’m good enough to be out of the Med-bay. Even said I can help with training today as long as I don’t actually train, so I guess I get to watch and critique.” She sounded happy that she was out of the Med-bay but Tali could tell she was disappointed at not being able to participate.

“Well this way you can help Tali and I with our hand to hand. You’re the best on the ship so-” Liara started to say but was interrupted by Garrus.

“Annabeth is the best? I don’t know about that, I was ranked one of the best hand to hand specialist while I was in the military.”

“Garrus, I’m a Vanguard… It’s kinda my job to be the best.” Annabeth tells him with slight challenge to her voice.

“What about me?” Wrex chimes in.

“What about you, Dad? Charging someone is not hand to hand combat.” Annabeth says turning to him. Everyone could tell that Wrex didn't really care about being the best but he did like pushing everyone's buttons, mostly Annabeth's.

“It could be.” He defends, mock hurt crossing his face.

“Sorry Wrex, but Annie’s has a point. You are all momentum when you charge and when you get into close range you generally just shoot the guy with your shotgun. I don’t think I have ever seen you actually fight hand to hand. And just headbutting someone doesn’t count.” Shepard responds.

“Yeah, you showed me how to headbutt and it’s not the same.” Annabeth says looking at him.

“Wait… you know how to headbutt a Krogan?” Tali asks looking at Annabeth with new found respect, which was hard because she already held Annabeth up pretty high.

“Yep. It’s comes in handy… It shows the other Krogans who is boss. I think I have headbutted about 10 Krogan.” Annabeth supplies. Tali knew that no one could see her face but her mouth was open wide in surprise.

“Yeah, you are ahead of me in the respect. The only Krogan I have headbutted is Wrex.” Shepard responds.

“Oh my!” Liara exclaims. “You two are just full of surprises aren’t you.”

Both Annabeth and Shepard laugh. “Yeah. But still Garrus, I am the best hand to hand specialist there is.” Annabeth states looking at the Turian clearly not t be distracted.

“I think once you are healed we will need to spar. Just so we can get the record strait.” Garrus replies. Tali could see the challenge in his eyes and knew that this was going to be entertaining.

“You’re on, Vakarian! After shore leave. That way we should both be equally rested.” Garrus nods his head and the agreement was made. Tali was concerned though, she knew that Annabeth was a skilled hand to hand fighter but Garrus was much taller and had weight on his side.

“Well this will be entertaining at least. And it will show Liara and Tali that size isn’t everything... In a fight.” Shepard said.

“No J… size is _everything_!” Annabeth says with a cheeky grin on her face. At that Shepard and Ash laughed, Kaidan looked embarrassed, Wrex choked on his food and Liara, Garrus and Tali looked confused.

“I don’t get it.” Tali and Liara said at the same time cause the other three girls to laugh.

“I’ll explain later… I think Wrex would either die or kill me if I tried to explain now.” Annabeth whispered to them as Wrex glared at his adopted daughter.

‘ _My money is on Jackson’_ Joker says over the comm, breaking any tension that had started to build.

“Me too.” Wrex, Tali and Liara all say at the same time.

“I’m with Garrus.” Kaidan says as Ash nods.

Everyone then turns to Shepard. “What? I’m not choosing between my sister and my boyfriend. Plus, I am the commanding officer, I wont bet on something like that.” Tali could tell that there was more to it then that but she didn't say anything.

For some reason as Shepard talked, Wrex turned to Garrus as if he was saying something. Then it hit her. Tali could faintly hear a rumbling sound coming from Garrus and she wondered what it meant but she wasn’t about to ask since it seemed that only Tali and Wrex could hear it.

“Anyways, we need to get down to the cargo bay and start training so finish eating!” Shepard ordered. With that, the group finished their meals and headed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, you may have notice that I updated the Tags. I did this because now that I am really starting to get into the plot I am reconsidering some of the relationships that might happen down the line. So this way I will add the tags as I add the people to the story. Hope you are all enjoying the story and thank you for the Kudos! Leave a comment if there is anything you think you would like to see maybe in the future. These are your characters too!


	38. Chapter 38 (Annabeth)

“Annie, you will be in charge of the rest of the ground crew while we help the colony. You are to stay and guard the ship, nothing else unless you hear form us. Kaidan will take point with Ash and Liara while you stay on ship. This is an order, Annie. No charging out there. You are still injured so no leaving the ship.” Jane ordered as her, Wrex, Tali and Garrus turn to leave for Zhu’s Hope.

Annabeth just nods her head knowing that this was a battle she would not win and with Jane in Commander mode, there was no room for disobedience. As Jane and the others headed out the air lock Annabeth made her way to the bridge. Annabeth would never admit that she was hiding her pain from everyone. When the Krogan crashed into her, she had cracked a few ribs and even though it was stupid, charging Haliat had felt good. Well, up until he was dead and she noticed that he had gotten a shot off after all.

Slowly Annabeth sat down trying not to let the pain show. “Just take some damn medicine, Beth!” Apparently not well enough. Annabeth looked over to see Joker staring at her. She smiles, “No need, I’m fine.”

“Yes, because you normally look like you want to die when you sit.” Joker chastised. Annabeth was a bit surprised that Joker was being so blunt with her. Normally he would let it go but she realized that he was just worried for her and he hadn't gotten to yell like all the others so she decided to tell the truth.

“Yeah, Yeah. Okay, I’m in _some_ pain but really Joker. I’m fine. And besides, if I’m going to survive this mission I need a clear head… You know this is the first mission in years that J is going without me.” Annabeth sighs looking down.

“Don’t worry about it. She has Wrex, Tali and Garrus with her. They are very skilled and Wrex would die before anything happened to Shepard.”

“I know that is supposed to make me feel better but… I love everyone on this ship like family. And hell! Wrex is family… I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Annabeth told him. She hated when others went out without her, she couldn't protect them if she wasn't there.

“Ahh… so that’s why you do the crazy dumb things out in the field. It draws fire so the others won’t get hurt.” It wasn’t a question and Annabeth knew it.

“Well, better me then them.”

“Beth, I’m going to be straight with you for a minute. You are the glue that brought this group together. I mean yes, we all would have followed Shepard no matter what but you made us a family. Hell, I see you, Shepard, Ash, Tali and Liara as sisters and that says a lot. I see Wrex, Garrus and Kaidan as bothers. Family, a family that would fall apart without you. So stop that thinking now.” Joker was giving Annabeth a fierce look and she could tell that he was a bit mad at her.

“I hear you Joker. I know that everyone cares and I also see you all a family but it is not something I can turn off. But thank you. It’s nice to hear that when I’m not being yelled at.” She smiles sheepishly.

“Anytime. Now if you don’t mind it is getting to sappy up here so let’s check in with the ground team.” Joker punches in some commands into the console and soon the bridge is filled with the ground team’s comms.

 _'We saw your ship. Fai Dan wants to speak with you immediately.'_ A stranger’s voice came in over the comms.

 _‘Who is Fai Dan?’_ Jane voice asks.

 _‘He’s our leader. He needs your help to prepare for the Geth. They’re making another push. Please. Up the stairs past the freighter.'_   Annabeth and Joker shared a look before moving into action.

“Ground team. Suit up and meet by the air lock. Geth have been spotted in the area. We needed to be prepared.” Annabeth ordered over the internal comms.

 _‘Annie, you hear… shit get down’_ There was an explosion followed by swearing. Both Joker and Annabeth relaxed a little when they had heard all of the ground team’s voices.

There were several minutes of fighting before Jane came back over the comms. _‘Annie. Get the others ready to protect the ship if need be.’_

“Way ahead of you sister. Anybody injured?” Annabeth asked.

_‘No, minor scratches and bruises but we’ll be fine. Heading into the colony, Shepard out.’_

Soon the rest of the team on board joined Annabeth and Joker on the bridge. Annabeth gave a quick overview of what had happened and what then new orders were before turning her attention back to what they could hear over the comm. Form what it sounded like the colony was having trouble getting basic supplies like water, power and food. As she listened, Annabeth noticed that the colonist sounded strange. If Annabeth didn’t know better she would say they sounded brainwashed or living dead like.

The sound of more gunfire brought Annabeth out of her thoughts and back into what was happening. Apparently, a drop ship was parked out near the colony so naturally Jane and the other had to get rid of it before getting to anything else. It didn’t take long before the group was back at the colony trying to assess how to get food, water and power back. Again, Jane and the group agreed to help and headed for some tunnels to try and get the resources the colony needed and to shut down a beacon that was transmitting a single to block communications form outside the colony itself. Annabeth wasn’t at all surprised that once the team entered the tunnels the comms cut out.

“Is it just me or do the colonists sound… off?” Annabeth asked, turning to Joker.

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” Joker replies with a concerned look on his face.

Annabeth thought about it for a minute before calling Kaidan over. “I don’t like this. The colonist are acting strange. I want us to be ready for anything. Get someone to bring me my gear... Just in case the worst happens.”

“Aye, Aye, ma’am.” Kaidan nods and heads back over to the others.

“You think Shepard will need back up?” Joker asks.

“No, J can handle herself. It’s us I’m worried about. We are sitting ducks here until J gets rid of the Geth and with the colonist acting the way they are. I am not going to take any chances.”

“That’s fair.” Was all he said in return.

The two sat in silence for the next 10 minutes waiting for the ground team to come in over the comms. One of the young corporals had come and dropped off Annabeth's gear but she didn't put it on just yet. Annabeth was starting to worry, the fact that she was not with her sister wasn’t helping. She knew that they have had longer radio silences when she was on missions but to be on the other end was driving her crazy.

“How do you do this!? I am going crazy over here and you just look so fucking calm!” Annabeth practically yells at Joker.

“Well I’m not really calm but since I am always up here I have learned to deal. You, however, are used to being down there so really… I’m impressed it took this long for you to snap. I had you pegged at 10 minutes after they left. I think Wrex won the bet. He had an hour.” Joker smirks.

“You bet on when I would freak out!?” Annabeth glares. Annabeth knew that Joker would bet on anything but to bet on her discomfort, rude!

“Wow! Beth… We all did. Shepard had you down for the moment the door closed, Ash had 5 minutes, Kaidan had 15, Tali had 20, Garrus had a half hour and Wrex had an hour.” Joker tells her, trying and failing to hid his laughter.

“Really! Wow! The only one that has faith in me is my dad. I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising… he did raise me.” Annabeth contemplates. The fact that everyone had bet made her a little mad but she couldn't blame them... She was an easy target when it came to this sort of thing. “Maybe I’ll try meditating.”

Joker snorts, “You, meditate… I don’t see it. You can barely stay still for a few seconds let alone minutes or hours.”

Annabeth turns to him, “I’ll have you know that I meditate for a half an hour every night before bed. I picked it up when I was younger to help harness my biotics, after had my biotics under control I kept at it. It’s calming and helps me focus and sleep.”

Joker was just about to reply when Jane came in over the comm. ‘ _Nicely done Tali! Now that this is dealt with and we have restored water, found a power source and got rid of the alpha varren we can head back to Fai Dan.’_

Both Joker and Annabeth sigh in relief and got back to chatting as if the last few minutes hadn’t happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't you just see someone who is used to being out in the field loosing their minds at being confined to the ship! I know I sure would!


	39. Chapter 39 (Wrex)

Wrex didn’t like this colony. It wasn’t because of the Geth or the fact they seemed to be in a fight where ever they went but because of how the humans were acting. They seemed terrified but numb at the same time and for some reason, the Humans wanted to stay instead of leave. Wrex would understand if they wanted to fight, that’s what Krogan would want, but it seemed that they were more determined in just staying where they were and defend instead of fight.

Wrex stood back and listened to Shepard talk to the colonist trying to get answers as to why Saren had been there but the only information they got was that the company, ExoGeni, might have answers. The group made there way down to the road where Shepard insisted on driving even with everyone’s protests.

“Annie, We’re heading out to ExoGeni Headquarters. The comms will probably go out, it would be safe to say that the Geth are jamming communications.”

‘ _Okay sounds good. Stay safe out there and kill some Geth for me.’_ Wrex could tell that Annabeth wasn't really happy about the potential communications problems but there was nothing for it. He knew that she was not happy being confined to the ship but it was for the best. If she were Krogan, there would have been no stopping her but Wrex had to remember that even though she acted like a Krogan from time to time she was still human.

“Will do, Shepard out.” Shepard replied before starting to move the Mako forward.

\--

The drive to ExoGeni was full of fighting and cursing and Tali's soft string music. Shepard’s driving was terrible as always but it kept the Geth from being able to hit them so Wrex couldn’t complain. As they drove, Tali had been picking up a signal form a group that were hiding in one of the corridors that ran along the road. Shepard decided that they needed to check to see if the group needed help.

“That’s close enough.” One of the Human males says as the group approaches. Wrex liked that they made the man nervous, it’s part of being Krogan. When you can intimidate your enemies before even saying or doing anything was a sign of strength.

“Relax, Jeong. They’re obviously not Geth.” One of the females says, exasperated.

“Get back, Juliana. Who are you? What do you want?” Jeong demands. Wrex found it funny, he was demanding something that he really was in no position to demand in Wrex's opinion.

“Commander Shepard. I’m here to remove your Geth problem.” Shepard told the man in a calm commanding tone.

“You see? You worry too much.” Juliana says looking at Jeong.

“And you trust too easily, Juliana.” Wrex could tell that Jeong was one that didn't like to be questioned or threatened, he wouldn't last two minutes on Tuchanka.

“I’m just glad to see a friendly face. I thought we were the only humans left of this planet.” There was relief clear in her voice.

“Fai Dan and some of the members of Zhu’s Hope are still alive.” Shepard informs them.

“I thought you said they were all dead.” Juliana says outraged looking at Jeong.

“I said they were _probably_ all dead.” Jeong retorts.

“They’re surviving, but the Geth really hit them hard.” Garrus tells them. Wrex was starting to like Garrus. After being in several fights and seeing they way he treated not only Shepard but Bug as well, he had to admit that Garrus was a good addition to this messed up family. He could protect the girls if need be but knowing Bug and Shepard, they would kill anyone who tried to protect them. But not only that, when Bug got hurt Garrus was one of the angriest in the group. He had matched Shepard and Wrex in tone and ferocity when reprimanding her. Yep… Wrex liked Garrus okay.

“We know what that’s like. Those damn synthetics are relentless.” Juliana agrees.

“I’ll do whatever I can to keep them away from you. But I need some information.” Shepard reassures them.

“What kind of information?” Jeong asks suspicion creeping even farther into his voice.

“Ignore him. The Geth are up in the ExoGeni headquarters. Just a bit further along the skyway.” Juliana informs them clearly having enough of the males crap.

“Those headquarters are private property, soldier. Remove the Geth and nothing else.” Jeong tells them, trying to give orders. Wrex had to stop a laugh that was building. What would this human do if they did want the information? Wrex could clearly see that the man was scared out of his mind when looking at the group in front of him but was sticking to his guns.

“I’m not interested in your company secrets.” Shepard says with a glare. As the group turned to leave Juliana calls them back to ask them to look out for her daughter. She hopes that they could find her somewhere in headquarters and bring her back. Shepard agrees that she will try and find the missing girl before leaving.

After a short drive that involved killing a few more Geth the team made it to ExoGeni headquarters. Once there they had to fight their way in through a group of Geth. There were only a few Geth troopers but the big surprise was a Geth armature that was in one of the side rooms. Garrus had to push Shepard out of the way of an incoming fire while Tali overloaded its’ shields and Wrex unloaded his shotgun. It was several minutes of tense fighting but eventually the group brought the thing down.

“That was one tough son of a bitch.” Shepard says as they sit to regroup and check wounds. Wrex turns and looks at Shepard with interest. “What? Annie isn’t here to swear so I have to pick up the slack.”

The other three chuckle at that as they sit and rested. Wrex needed to eat a few ration bars after using up a lot of his energy to shield the group from attacks. With being a Battlemaster and as old as he was Wrex knew just how to push his biotics to get what he needed when it came to fighting but to cover the other three was still difficult.

Soon the group was off and moving again. They found there way blocked and had to jump down to a lower level knowing that the only way out was to bring down the barriers the Geth had set up.

The group came across a dead varren lying on the ground in front of them and just a Wrex was about to says something a gunshot rang out. “Damn it! I’m so sorry. I thought you were Geth, or one of those varren.” A human female says as she approaches the group. Wrex was thankful that the woman was a poor shot or she would have hit either Garrus or himself.

“You’re safe now. But why were you here in the first place?” Shepard asks the woman. If it had been Wrex in charge, he would have at very least headbutted the woman to reprimand her but with her being human, Wrex really couldn’t say anything.

“It’s my own fault. Everyone else was running and I stayed to back up data. Next thing I knew, the Geth latched on and the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out, but the way was blocked.” The woman informed them. Wrex had to respect the female. She had clearly been able to say out of site of the Geth and been able to fend of the varren, which for a soft human, wasn't bad.

“We’ll get you out as soon as we find out what the Geth are after.” Shepard told the woman.

“It’s not the Geth; it’s the energy field they put up. They don’t want anyone else getting access to the…” she trailed off.

“I’m here for the Geth. It’s very important that I find out what they’re after.” Shepard reassured the woman.

“I don’t know for certain, but I’m guessing they’re here for the Thorian.” Wrex had never heard of such an thing but if her was being honest, he really didn't care about things outside of fighting, his next job and Annabeth.

“Thorian? What is that, exactly?” Tali asks.

The woman went on to explain what the Thorian was and how ExoGeni had been studying it. She informed the group that she would tell them more once the Geth were gone. She also told them that she believed that the Geth ship was more than likely the power source to the fields and if they brought it down they could probably get out. The woman, Lizbeth, gave them her ID so that they could get around the facility with less trouble.

Not soon after they finished talking, more varren moved in. Wrex had no problem fighting varren since they had thousands of them on Tuchanka. They kept coming but the group took them down easily enough. The team then headed into the building and up the stairs, as they did they heard a voice coming form above and Wrex knew immediately that it was a Krogan and was quick to inform Shepard.

As they got closer they could here the Krogan arguing with a VI. Wrex thought that this Krogan looked like a strong warrior but knew that he could take him without the rest of the group if need be. The Krogan seemed to be trying to get answers from the VI but wasn’t getting anywhere because he didn’t have clearance. Before the group had a chance at a surprise attack the VI gave away their position and the fight began. It didn’t take long to take the Krogan down since it was four on one.

Once the Krogan was dead, Shepard headed to the VI to get more information. The VI explained what the Thorian was and how it effected the people of Zhu’s Hope. Wrex and the rest of the group were appalled that ExoGeni was using its people in an experiment, not only that was dangerous but the people didn’t even know they were apart of. Wrex was probably a bit more upset then the others knew because the experiment sounded to close to the genophage for his liking.

“Joker… Come in, Joker… Damn it! That field’s blocking us.” Shepard was mad. Wrex could tell she wanted to warn the Normandy that an attack could happen but couldn’t get through. At that moment, Wrex was glad Bug was still on board. She always had good instincts and would know what to do. Shepard tried to get more information from the VI about the Geth that were in the facility but came up short.

“Well I guess we do this the hard way. Let’s move out.” Shepard states and moves into the lead to head further into the facility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it just me or did anyone else see a connection between the Genophage and the Thorian? I thought that if Wrex had been on the mission he would have made that connection instantly.


	40. Chapter 40 (Garrus)

“The Geth used these claws to anchor their ships to the side of the buildings.” Tali says as they walked into one of the rooms.

As he drops down to the next level Garrus replies, “The Geth don’t waste much finessing their landings. How do we cut the power if it’s coming from the ship?”

“It will be difficult. We can check the other claws for weaknesses, but the Geth are very thorough.” Tali tells them. Garrus was glad that they had brought Tali along with them, Shepard and himself were good with tech and against the Geth but Tali was very impressive as long as she stayed back. Her getting suit rupture could be more deadly then anyone of the rest of them getting shot.

Garrus made his way over to where the Geth had been kneeling moments before. “This place seems almost peaceful. Do you think the Geth were using this room as some kind of religious temple?”

“The Geth blur the line between organic and synthetic life. It’s natural to assume they seek understanding form a higher power.” Tali agrees. Garrus never really put much thought into it but it did make sense in a way that the Geth would find some sort of religion.

“Does it matter?” Wrex grunts in reply.

“I suppose not.” Garrus says as he shrugs his shoulders. Since joining the Normandy, Garrus has noticed that he has picked up several human gestures including shrugging his shoulders, raising the plates above his eyes and rolling his eyes. He has come to find that Annabeth, Shepard and Joker use these gestures all the time but Ash and Kaidan seem to only use them from time to time. Garrus found it odd but he also kind of liked how different each human was when it came to facial expressions and body movements. His own people were generally predictable on how they move their bodies and Garrus had to think that was because Turians relied more on scent and vocals then body language.

“Well, lets keep moving.” Jane says, pulling Garrus from his thoughts.

The group continued along a hallway that leaded to a small open room. The moment that Garrus stepped in, gunfire sounded. Garrus was lucky enough to make it to cover with the only damage happening to his shields.

“Oh… Not my boyfriend you synthetic bastards!” Shepard yells at the Geth as she sends a volley of bullets into the room.

Garrus can't help the hum that comes from his chest when he hears Shepard yell. It was only a few days ago that she openly admitted to everyone that he was her boyfriend. Garrus knew that everyone on board already knew that they were seeing each other but to make it official to everyone, Garrus couldn’t help but feel honored that this woman would choose him. For Turians the term boyfriend really didn't have an equivalent but from the information that Annabeth had told him, being labeled Shepard's boyfriend was a human way of claiming him. Turians didn't have any way to claim anyone else unless they were bonded but he found he liked the human custom.

“You just going to sit there and think of Shepard all day or are you going to help.” Wrex grumbled from beside him, pulling him once again form his thoughts.

“Yeah, Yeah I’m coming.” He replies as he pops out of cover and overloads one of the nearest Geth.         

Minutes later the room is clear and the group headed up a set of stairs leading to what must have been an office space but what they weren’t expecting were the four Krogan waiting for them at the top. It took longer to clear the Krogan then it had the Geth but in the end the Krogan went down.

“Keelah!” Tali exclaims as she quickly works to seal off part of her suit.

“Tali! Are you alright?” Shepard rushes over concerned. Garrus was right beside her rumbling his own concern as he looked Tali over with his visor.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. A small suit rupture wont stop me and I have got antibiotics going.” Tali tells her. Garrus saw the rupture in question and it was indeed small and thankfully in an area that was easily sealed and patched.

“Are you sure?” Shepard insists still not convinced.

“Yes. And even if not there is nothing we can do until we get back to the ship.” Tali reminds Shepard.

“Right… We’ll take a quick break before we set off again. Check wounds and eat if you need to. I’m going to have a quick look around.” Shepard orders as she sets off to one of the computer banks.

While Garrus ate his ration bar, he checked over his barrier to see if the shots he had taken earlier had damage it in any way. While he did that, Wrex also ate and took count of the ammo; With Annabeth not here Wrex had be voluntold that it was his job to make sure the group knew how much ammo was left. Tali also ate some rations and tended to her suit. Garrus knew that Tali had been lucky any bigger and she could have been in real danger.

In no time the group was off and moving again. They headed back down the stairs to the room where they fought the Geth and proceeded to take the other staircase to an upper level. They soon found themselves in another fight with several more Geth. The Geth went down easy enough with Garrus and Tali frying their shields and Wrex and Jane taking them out. Tali hacked one of the terminals and found information leading them to believe that Zhu’s Hope was not the only colony that being used against their will in an ExoGeni experiment. This seemed to make Wrex agitated if his growl was anything to go by. It surprised Garrus a little that Wrex seemed to be taking it so personally but he knew it was probably better not to mention it here.

They pushed on, up and over a set of stairs, noting that there were more claws. Garrus agreed with Tali’s assessment that they didn’t have enough charges to blow the claws free so the group moved on only to find themselves in another fight with even more Geth. 'How many Geth could there be?' Garrus thought as they found cover. The fight lasted what felt like forever with Garrus and Tali overloading their shields and Wrex and Shepard again, shooting them down.

Once the last Geth had fallen Garrus and Tali took a closer look at the claws attaching the ship to the building. “If we can dislodge just one claw the ship might fall.” Garrus says turning to Shepard. Garrus could see that she was trying to think of a way to bring down the massive ship but apparently nothing came to mind.

“Alright, spread out and look to see if we can find a way to get one claw down. If that doesn’t work, then we will just have to keep looking.” Shepard replies with a small smirk. Garrus could tell that she was just waiting for the chance to watch the ship plummet to the worlds surface.

As they search the near by consoles, Garrus found information that pointed to there potentially being an offensive attack in Citadel space by the Geth. Garrus downloaded the information before turning to tell Shepard about it. Once informed, Shepard looked like she was going to say something when Tali exclaimed she found something to do with Cerberus, which caught the attention of everyone since they have several run ins with the group now. From the information found, it seemed that Cerberus was the owners of ExoGeni or at very least a huge contributor. The group was very unsettled by the news but Shepard ordered them to keep looking until Tali found the control panel for the Shuttle Bay Doors which, if activated, could crush the claws that were in the openings.

“Tali, can you access the controls?” Shepard asked.

“Of course, Shepard. No need to be insulting.” Tali joked in return. “It will take a few minutes, however.” At hearing that, both Garrus and Wrex set up a defensive perimeter while Tali and Shepard worked. With Tali’s amazing skills it didn’t take long before the doors closed and they heard the ship detach and fall to the ground.

“Nicely done Tali!” Shepard says patting her on the back.

“Thanks, it wasn’t that hard.” Tali’s reply came in sheepishly. Garrus could tell that Tali was used to getting complements when it came to her work which was shocking to him since she was very good at what she did.

“Well good job anyway. Let’s move.” Shepard said as she turned to leave.

‘ _I repeat, Normandy to shore party. Are you reading? Anyone there? Normandy to shore party. Come on, Commander, talk to me!’_ Joker’s voice comes in over the comm sounding worried and anxious at the same time.

“Joker! What’s going on over there?” Shepard replies.

‘ _We’re in lockdown here, Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They’re banging on the hull, trying to claw their way inside the ship. They’re freaking out! Beth and the others are suited up but are holding position.’_

“They can’t do any real damage. We’re on our way back. Just hold position. I trust Annie and you to keep the Normandy safe.”

_‘Uh… yeah. Okay. Thanks, Commander.'_

“Okay people this place will be crawling with Geth any minute. Keep together and we’ll get out of here in one piece.” Shepard says as they start to make their way back the way they came. They made it all the way down to the entrance hall before running into Lizbeth.

“There you are! We should get out of here. I don’t think this place is safe.”

‘No shit, Captain obvious!’ Garrus thought. He hoped that he was using the term Annabeth used on him correctly.

“I need some answers. You knew more about the Thorian than you let on.” Shepard says glaring at the woman.

“I… I was afraid. I wanted to stop the tests, but they threatened me, told me I’d be next. When the Geth attacked, I stayed behind to send a message to Colonial Affairs. I tried to tell them where to find the Thorian, but the power cut before I could send the message. I… I never meant for this to happen.” Garrus could see the regret written all over the woman's face.

“You did what you could. I’ll help them if you can tell me where to find the Thorian.” Shepard told the woman. Garrus couldn’t believe that she trusted the woman so easily, but guessed that without Annabeth here to help, she was doing her best.

“The Thorian is underneath Zhu’s Hope, but the entrance is blocked. The colonists covered it with the freighter just before the Geth attacked.” Garrus now understood why the colonist that was near the controls for the ship had been so touchy when they asked to take a look.

“But why are the Geth after the Thorian? What could Saren want with it?” Shepard mused.

“Well, it does have unique mind-control capabilities. That’s what ExoGeni was interested in.” Garrus hoped that the surprise he felt at hearing that wasn't showing on his face. He knew that his subvocals had given him away to Wrex but they were tampered down enough that the humans more than likely wouldn't be able to hear them.

‘ _Normandy to shore party. Come in.’_

“What is it, Joker?” Shepard asks over the comm clearly getting frustrated with how FUBAR the mission was going.

_‘We’re getting a lot of Geth comm chatter. Looks like they’re headed your way.’_

“Thanks for the heads-up, Joker. You heard the man; let’s move out.” Shepard told the team. As they started to walk towards the Mako, Lizbeth fell into step with them. “I’m coming with you. I might be able to help undo the mess I helped create.”

If it was up to Garrus, he would have left her behind. But after the time he has spent with Shepard and Annabeth, he knew that that wasn’t an option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Garrus getting distracted because of human customs was to easy to pass up, especially with Wrex right there to call him on it!! To much!! :)


	41. Chapter 41 (Jane)

Jane wasn’t going to argue with taking Lizbeth with them. There was no way in hell that she would leave someone to the mercy of the Geth and she had promised Lizbeth’s mother that she would bring her daughter back. The drive back to the other ExoGeni scientists was filled with fighting. With another person in the Mako things were tight and Jane could hear all of them gripping about her driving but she knew that they were just making fun of her… well at least she thought that they were. When the Mako made it around the corner to were the ExoGeni scientists were, Lizbeth nearly jumped out of the moving vehicle trying to reach her mother who could be heard over the comm.

Exasperated, Jane and the others follow. Jane was happy to see that Lizbeth wasn’t dumb and stopped to at least take in the scene before jumping out of cover and running to her mother. Jane was mad, yes, but also understood that if it had been anyone of her weird family she would have done the same. Well, that or order Garrus to take out Jeong.

Jeong had been rubbing her the wrong way the entire time they had talked the first time and once he saw her return and his only comment was he had hoped the Geth had killed her. Well to say the least, she was pissed. Apparently Garrus, Wrex and Tali all felt the same with the men growling and Jane was sure she heard a shotgun being cocked behind her. He tried to placate her by telling her that her heroics weren’t needed. Jane knew that killing the man right then and there would probably not be a good move so she chooses the least appealing option of trying to talk the man down. After several attempts, and some help from Lizbeth and Juliana, Jane is able to convince Jeong that killing the colonists and the ExoGeni workers was not in the best interests of the company.

When Jane was sure that Jeong was on board with their idea she ordered Garrus, Tali and Wrex to take a 10 minute break while Jane, Lizbeth and Juliana figure out a way to stop the colonists without having to kill them. It didn’t take long to come up with a solution but it was going to take about a half hour to get the formula ready for the hand grenades. Jane decided that she would take the time to also have a quick break. She found the man whose research they found while in the ExoGeni headquarters and returned it to it's rightful owner.

“You know you need to eat too, Jane.” Garrus said behind her. Jane could clearly hear the rumbling in his chest and knew that he was concerned.

She turned and gave him a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, yeah, your right, I know. I just hate waiting; I like to keep busy you know.”

“I do know. But without Annabeth here to pester you about taking a break, the responsibility has fallen to me.” Garrus smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

Jane laughs a little at that as she reaches for a protein bar that was stored away in her suit. “Yeah, no Annie to pester me or make the dumb calls that for the most part always works or to deal with people. I was so close to just killing Jeong when we arrived back but I could hear Annie’s voice in my head saying ‘not everything has to be killed. Sometime talking is the better answer.’ I mean you wouldn’t know it from the way she acts that her father is one of the galaxy’s most badass mercenary’s.”

Garrus chuckles before replying, “You wouldn’t have killed him anyway. You may not know it Shepard but you are generally a nice person.” Garrus flicked out a mandible in a smirk as he watched Jane’s reaction. Jane knew that she wasn’t cold hearted but she always felt that Annie was the one who kept her in line when it came to making the big decisions. Yes, Annie was rash sometimes while in battle but most of the time she was the level headed one, stopping Jane from hitting people when having a conversation. Jane had a feeling that that was one of the main reasons that the two were considered the best ground team the Alliance had. They knew each other’s weaknesses and also their strengths. They always knew when to step up and help the other.

It didn’t take nearly as long as Lizbeth and Juliana had thought to get the grenades ready and the team was back on the move. They had to fight their way through more Geth on the way back to the colony and when they got there the group was confronted by what looked like some sort of creeper husk. When it attacked, Jane was not far away when the thing exploded, releasing some sort of gas.

“Stay back from them. It hurts like hell if you get to close to the gas they release.” Jane coughed out.

“Are you alright, Shep?” Tali asked walking up to her with a worried look on her face.

“Yeah, fine. Let’s keep moving. Remember, no killing the colonists. That’s what the gas grenades are for.” Jane said with what was hopefully a reassuring smile.

As they move into the compound, the group was confronted with a room full of the creepers. Jane order Wrex to throw the creepers back so that the others could take them out at a safe distance. Jane was cursing herself for not bring either Kaidan or Liara to help repeal the beasts but knew that having Garrus and Tali probably saved their lives back at ExoGeni. The fighting through the compound to the heart of the colony was brutal. The creepers were one thing but the colonists were a bigger problem. Jane was not as good at hand to hand as Garrus and Annie but knew that if Wrex charged that it would more than likely kill the colonist so she had to step up and help Garrus knockout the remain people once they were out of grenades.

Once the compound was clear Jane made her way over to the console for the crane to lift the module off the entrance to the Thorian. Before the group could head down the stairs Jane could feel the presence of someone coming her way. It was Fai Dan. He seemed to be struggling with his movements and Jane could tell that he was fighting against the Thorian's control. There was nothing that Jane could do as she watched in horror as the man used his gun on himself. Sacrificing himself so that Jane and the others could continue.

As Jane made her way down to the Thorain’s lair she couldn't help the anger that has started to flood through her veins. These colonists deserved better, not just from ExoGeni but form this creature they were on the way to meet. Jane didn’t know what to expect as they made their way downwards into the lair. Would it even be something they could talk to or just a plant that if they pulled up its roots it would die.

Just as they were entering a large chamber Tali spoke up. “All right, we just need to find this creature and determine what it… what it… Keelah, what is that?”

That was a good question, Jane thought. The thing in front of them looked like a plant mixed with a slug mixed with some weird sea creature. Jane’s first thought was of all the old Greek and Roman creatures that Annie used to tell her about when they were younger. The thing didn’t have any eyes from what Jane could see but it looked like it did have some sort of mouth that was oozing out some sort of slime.

“We are going to need bigger guns.” Wrex says behind her, snapping Jane back into the moment.

As she approached the Thorian, Jane could hear its laboured breathing. To Jane, it sounded almost like a cat trying to hack up a fur ball but what happened instead was a green Asari popped out. The Asari spoke but in a not so Asari way and Jane knew that the words were coming from the Thorian. Jane decided that she would first try and reason with the massive plant being but it wasn’t going well. It didn’t take long for it to become pissed off and attack them.

“Why is it that whenever I’m with you Shep, I always end up in some sort of fight?” Tali grumbles as more of the creepers head their way.

“Oh… you know… I wouldn’t want your life to get boring.” Jane replies after dispatching the Asari.

“Yes. Because life is so boring when you aren’t around.” Garrus deadpans.

“Hey, you are the one who wanted less red tape and more action.” Jane laughs as they take out a few more creepers.

“Yeah… this isn’t necessarily what I had in mind.” Garrus grunts out as he dives out of the way of the creeper gas.

“If you three are done chatting, I think if we hit the plant thing at these supports we could bring the bastard down!” Wrex yells over the gunfire.

At that, the team moved into a steady rhythm of killing creepers and taking down the tendrils that were anchoring the beast in place. Every now and then another Asari clone would pop up and Jane would gun her down. By the time they reached the top and what Jane hoped was the last tendrils, the group was exhausted. They had been constantly fighting for the better part of two hours and their ammo was running low, and Wrex was exerted to a point that he was starting to look pale. While the others took care of the creepers and the Asari clone, Jane focused all her energy on the tendril. When she hit it with the last grenade, the beast let out a horrible sound as it fell into the depths.

“Well,” Wrex panted. “That was fun.”

Jane was about to reply when one of the nodes on the wall popped, dropping an Asari in front of them. Jane raised her gun thinking that she was going to attack when she realized that this Asari was blue. The Asari, Shiala, thanked them for freeing her from the Thorian’s control and explained what had happened. Shiala told them about how Benezia had tried but failed to stop Saren in his plans and explained how he possessed a ship that could control your will. She also explained that Saren had sacrificed her to the Thorian in exchange for something called the cypher. Shiala agreed to give Jane the cypher but it required her to bond with Jane. Jane knew that she needed the information and so she agreed. The last thing she remembered was the images flashing through her mind before losing consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote part of this chapter so show that even if Annabeth's character wasn't apart of the universe that Shepard would still be Shepard. The other part was to have some banter while fighting, I always felt like they would if giving the chance especially after ME2 and the comments that they make while they fight and bring down enemies.  
> Anyway I hope your enjoying the story! I know I am :)


	42. Chapter 42 (Liara)

When the banging on the hull of the ship finally stopped Liara was relieved. She wasn’t really sure what was happening out there but she had heard enough to know that the colonists were not acting on there own. Liara was longing to go outside. Feros was one biggest Prothean sites and in her mind, it was full of hidden treasures, she was sure of it. She knew, however, that she was needed more here on the Normandy then out there but decided that she might come back one day to study here.

 _‘Dr. Chakwas, be ready. The ground crew is on their way back and both Tali and Shepard need medical attention.’_ Joker said over the comm. Liara’s blood ran cold. Hopefully they are okay and it is just minor injuries but form the tone in Joker’s voice she wasn’t sure.

“What happened, Joker!” Annabeth yelled out as she started to run, well attempt to run, towards the airlock with Liara, Ash and Kaidan hot on her trail.

_‘Don’t know. All they told me was Tali has a suit rupture and that Shepard is out cold. Something to do with bonding with an Asari.’_

“Why would Shepard bond with an Asari? She and Garrus are together.” Kaidan huffs out as the group skid to a stop waiting for the shore party to arrive.

_‘Don’t know. You’ll have to ask the others. But I don’t think it was a good pass out.’_

“What is that supposed to mean?” Annabeth asks.

“I think he is referring to Asari mating rituals. We can mentally bond with our mate as well as physically but bonding doesn’t always mean mating, it is also a way to exchange information or feelings without words getting in the way.” Liara informs her. Liara knew that the pilot liked to make jokes to ease the tension and to help with stress but she still found it quite strange, however, Annabeth just rolled her eyes and replied. “I don’t know Joker. Have you never passed out because the sex is so good?”

_‘Uh… I can’t say that I have and I don’t think I would want too. Imagine the amount of broken bones I would have.’_

“Well at least one.” Annabeth laughs out, causing Ash and Kaidan to do the same.

Liara looks at them all with a bewildered look on her face. “I don’t think I understand.”

“When the male _member_ is erect, it is sometimes referred to as a boner.” Dr. Chakwas said as she joins them with a stretcher floating behind her.

Liara’s cheeks flush, “Oh! By the Goddess!” At that everyone laughs even harder.

Once she caught her breath Ashley straightened as asked, "I think the real question should be, how did you know about that Kaidan?"

The look on Kaidan's face was priceless as he stuttered over his trying to dig himself out of the hole he was now in. This caused everyone to break into laughter once again. It took a couple minutes for everyone to regain their composer, and just in time too because the door to the airlock opened reveling Garrus carrying a limp Shepard and Wrex supporting a weak looking Tali. Dr. Chakwas rushes both women to the Med-bay as Annabeth whipped around demanding an explanation.

Garrus ushered them to the comm room where they could have more privacy to debrief the others on what had happened. The group was quiet as they listened to Garrus and Wrex tell them about what had happened with the Thorian creature. They explained that they had managed to save most of the colony along with an Asari who had been give up as a sacrifice to the beast. Garrus tried not to look at Liara when he told them that the Asari had been one of the ones that had followed Benezia. Liara knew that Benezia had followers and was not surprised that some had stayed by her side, even if they were wrong too follow her, her mother had been considered one of the most respected Matriarchs.

When Garrus finished talking Annabeth got up and started pacing the room. With Shepard down, the command of the ground team went to her. Pressly was the official XO but he mostly did the paper work and the official duties. However, everyone went to Annabeth when it came to orders.

“Joker, could you call Pressly in here please.” Annabeth said once she stopped pacing.

 _‘He’s on his way.’_ Joker replied.

Moments later Pressly walks into the room with a quick salute. “Ma’am.”

“Pressly, I think that it would be prudent of us to help the colonist as best we can. I suggest that we order any non-essential medical supplies and food to be sent out to the colony to help. We will likely stay docked here for the next 24 hours so anyone who wishes to leave the ship and help the colonist are more then welcome.” Annabeth pauses before continuing. “I also think that anyone with medical training that is not required to help with Tali and Jane should be sent out to help.” Liara wasn't surprised that Annabeth was thinking of the colonists. Even after knowing her for only a few weeks, Liara knew that Annabeth and Shepard helped people in need.

“I agree, Ma’am. If you are to remain on the ship, I would like to volunteer my time to the colonists.” Pressly states.

“Of course, Pressly. I am still injured so I will be staying aboard. If J wakes up and hears that I was out there, she would kill me.” Annabeth laughs. Liara noticed that she winced when she did but didn't say anything. Liara knew that Annabeth had refused pain meds and could tell that it was starting to strain her.

“Aye, Aye Ma’am.”

“As for the rest of you. Do what you can. Garrus, Dad, I want you both checked and cleared by Dr. Chakwas before you do anything. Ash, Kaidan and Liara, I want you all to go out into the colony and see what you can do for them.” Annabeth ordered. Liara was impressed with Annabeth's skill to step up in to command. She knew that Annabeth was a capable soldier but she always seemed so nice but it seemed that she was able to turn on and off her command like a switch. Liara had seen Shepard do it but not to the same degree as Annabeth. Shepard seemed to be more natural to command but it looked like if Annabeth wanted it she to could be a born leader.

With that, the team was dismissed. Liara decided that she needed to talk to the Asari, Shiala, first hand. Maybe she could get some answers about her mother and maybe figure out what happened to Shepard. Liara, Kaidan and Ash all made their way to the to the centre of the colony where everyone had gathered. Liara was surprised to see so many people; after Garrus’s story she was only expecting a few but then saw that some of them were wearing ExoGeni uniforms and guessed that they had come from their hiding spot to help.

It didn’t take long for Liara to find Shiala in the crowd, being the only other Asari, she stuck out. As she walked towards the woman she could see others of the Normandy crew trying help were ever they could. One of the junior engineers was trying to help upgrade the power so the colony wouldn’t have to worry about finding old parts. She also spotted one the medical staff helping the Salarian arms dealer.

“Shiala, I don’t know if you know who I am-” Liara started as she drew nearer to the other Asari.

“You are Matriarch Benezia’s daughter.” Shiala says cutting Liara off.

“Yes… I was wondering… I was wondering if you could give me some insight as to what happened with my mother.” Liara stammers. She wasn't sure what she wanted to hear but knew that she had to know.

“Of course, I will do my best anyway.” Shiala says with a smile.

The two talked for a couple of hours about Benezia and how she had started out by trying to help talk down Saren form his plans but ended up getting drawn in instead. Liara listened to everything Shiala had to say about her mother trying to gain insight on the woman she hadn’t spoken to in what was close to 50 years. Shiala spoke so highly of her mother that Liara was sad that the two had remained estranged for as long as they had. However, the more she listened to Shiala the more she knew that her mother was lost in what ever it was that Saren was doing and that no matter what she needed to be stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liara is so sweet and innocent. She grows up so much in the next three years its crazy but I love her!!


	43. Chapter 43 (Annabeth)

“So… How you feeling?” Annabeth asked as Jane slowly started to sit up.

“Oh, just peachy.” Jane tightly. “What happened? Where is everyone else.”

Annabeth moved to sit next to Jane on her bed. “Well, after you bonded with the Asari, you passed out. You have been out for the last 10 hours. Garrus had to carry you all the way back. Everyone else is fine. I ordered that we stay on Feros for 24 hours and sent all non-essential medical supplies and food rations to the colony since we are headed back to the Citadel.” Annabeth informed her. Jane was looking a little pale but overall she didn't look to bad.

“Good. They need it more then we do right now. But did I hear correctly, I have been out for 10 hours?” Jane said looking horror struck.

“Yeah. Don’t worry nothing exciting has happened. However, you may want to call the ground team back for the official debrief and contact the Council soon. Apparently, they miss us.” Annabeth teased. While Jane was unconscious the Council had tried to get a hold of them twice. Annabeth had answered both times to tell them that Jane had been injured and would give her report as soon as she was able but apparently it wasn't fast enough for their liking. The second time Annabeth had hung up on them just to prove a point.

“Oh, I’m sure they do.” Jane laughed. “Joker, can you please message the ground team and let them know we will be meeting in the comm room in a half hour. Oh… and also inform Dr. Chakwas that I am awake and would like to be cleared for duty.” Jane said as she swung her legs off the side of the bed.

_‘Aye, Aye Ma’am. And for the record, Wrex won the bet by a long shot. Beth lasted a full 50 minutes before she had a mini freak out.’_

“Damn! I was way off.” Jane chuckled.

“Yes, about that. Really J… the moment the door closed? I mean come on, you have to give me some credit.” Annabeth says send her sister a mock glare.

“I do give you credit… it’s just, you aren’t a patient person. And really if it had been the other way around what would you put me down for?”

Annabeth gave Jane an evil kind of look. “The door wouldn’t even be closed… you would probably jump in as it closed because you have control issues.” At that Jane pushed Annabeth off the bed causing her to crash onto the floor cause both women to laugh.

“I see you are feeling better, Commander.” Dr. Chakwas says as she enters the med bay.

“Yes, Ma’am. Am I clear for duty?”

“Yes. You had the same symptoms as before so from what I can tell, your fine.” Dr. Chakwas tells Jane.

“Alright, sounds good. Annie lets make our way to the debrief room. I want to get this over with.”

The debrief was defiantly stranger than normal. With them not only discussing the Thorian but also watching Liara bond with Jane. Annabeth had to admit it didn’t look like anything was happening but after a minute of them staring into each others eyes, they both blinked and stepped back breathing hard like they had just run a mile. After they recovered a bit, Liara started talking in a rapid-fire way, talking about her research finally adding up. But it wasn't long after that Liara almost passed out. Jane decided that that was enough information for the day and dismissed everyone while she contacted the Council.

The rest of the time on Feros was a blur of movement, trying to get the people of Feros a good start. Annabeth was forced to stay on the ship while everyone else helped with the loading efforts. Annabeth found herself sitting in the co-pilots chair talking with Joker since he was the only one who also couldn’t help.

“I feel so useless. I mean, I’m healed enough to help.” Annabeth whined. She knew that she was being a brat but she was sick of being confined to the ship.

“Beth, we have been through this. You’re not healed. Your gun shot wound is healed, yes but your ribs still need a few days.” Joker told her for what was probably the sixth time. “I’m in the same bout here and I have to do this every time so stop your whining!”

“Yeah, your right. Sorry.” Annabeth told him as she got up. “I’m going to go meditate. Do you need anything before I go?”

“No, I’m good.” Was the only reply she got as she headed to the cargo bay. With everyone out in the colony the cargo bay was empty and quite so Annabeth decided it would be a good place to be. This way if people needed her, she was easy to find and also, she liked that she could hear the drive core form there.

\--

“What are you doing tonight?” Ash asked.

“Oh, I think I might go out and have a few drinks.” Annabeth told her. “What about you? Got a hot date with Kaidan?” Annabeth couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

“Beth!” Ash’s face turned red. “Not so loud.”

“Everyone knows and no one cares Ash. You and Kaidan deserve happiness. If things work out after Saren things might need to change but until then don’t worry about it.” Annabeth tells her. Annabeth knew that Ash was concerned about the regulations revolving around fraternization but that was a rule Annabeth never really understood. Why not be able to blow off steam with a fellow soldier or date them. Annabeth understood at a certain point in a relationship it would become difficult and if the couple couldn't figure it out themselves it made sense that they would have to be separated but until then why not just let them be.

“I know but still… it’s strange to see everyone so accepting of it. I mean there are regs.” Ash replied.

“Yes, there are but as far as J and I are concerned you two deserve happiness. With us being in command you don’t have to worry. And the regs are out of date really.” Annabeth told her.

“Okay, thanks Beth.” Ash looked up at her. “If you need any help tonight let me know. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I think the words you are looking for are ‘make good choices.’” They both laugh as they head towards the airlock. “If you need help with an outfit just let me know.”

Ash laughs, “I really don’t think Kaidan cares what I wear as long as it isn’t Alliance colours he's happy.”

“Fair.” Annabeth agrees with a smile. “I guess I’ll have to fill my time helping J… I always have to help her. She is hopeless by herself.”

The two women hug before heading in different directions.

\--

“I don’t know Annie… this seems a bit too much.” Jane says as she enters the living room. She is wearing a figure hugging navy blue romper that had a low cut in the front and back with the hem of the short stopping at mid thigh to show some skin.

“Look J… I know you and Gar have only been on one official date but with all the missions and down time I would call this at least your third date which means…” Annabeth smirks, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Janes cheeks flush with colour, “Annie! Garrus is Turian. What if they don’t have the same unspoken rules? What if he doesn’t like how I look? What if he rejects me?”

Annabeth could see the doubt in her sister’s eyes and knew that this was going to take some convincing. “J, Garrus likes you and wants you as more than a friend. I am no expert on subharmonics but form what I can tell and what Dad has told me, Garrus wants you just as much, if not more, then you want him.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asks tilting her head to the side.

Annabeth took a moment trying to think of how to explain. “I mean, when you are around he gets kind of protective… have you not noticed that he lets out a growl if any male approaches you? I know that with growing up with Wrex has made it easier for me to hear such things but I thought you would have noticed by now that his is protective of you. And he will love the outfit. Hell, if he doesn’t try and cop a feel I would say he isn’t interested in women.” Annabeth winked, knowing she had said the same thing before the dance so many years before.

“Annie!” Jane says picking up a pillow and throwing it at her, laughing. Once the two had regained their composure Jane continued. “What are you going to do tonight?”

“I think I’m going to head to Flux or Chora’s Den… you know… get into some trouble.” Annabeth replies giving her sister a cheeky grin.

Jane huffs, “Annie, don’t get into too much trouble. If I have to bail you out of C-Sec I will not be happy.”

“Have faith J.” Annabeth says. Jane was about to reply when the door chimed informing them that Garrus had arrived. “Have fun and make good choices.” Annabeth tells her as she gives her sister a peck on the cheek and heads into the bedroom to get ready for her evening.

“You too!” Was all Jane said before heading to the door.

‘No promises’ Annabeth thought as she started to look though her closet for the right outfit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write!! I love writing the filler scenes, I can add some much to the characters personality that you wouldn't normally see, to much fun!


	44. Chapter 44 (Jane)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light smut

Jane had to catch her breath when she opened the door and saw Garrus standing there. He was in a rich purple dress suit that brought out his eyes and colony markings, making him look even more sticking. Garrus had his own moment of shock when he saw her and she could faintly hear what sound like purring coming from him.

“You look… Good Shepard.” Garrus says as his eyes track up and down her, lingering a bit longer on her waist then anywhere else. ‘I guess Annie knows what she is talking about’ was all Jane could think.

Jane couldn’t help the blush that came to her cheeks. “Thanks, you look very hansom yourself.”

Garrus stood there a moment longer looking at her waist before dragging his eyes back to hers. “I know, I’m am always stylish. Shall we?” He asked offering her his arm. Jane laughed but didn’t hesitate as they started out of the building.

The two where having a fantastic time on their date. First, they had gone to one of the nicer, smaller restaurants on the Presidium and talked easily about there lives outside of work. Jane had to admit that the conversation was so much easier then their first date and she was crediting it to fighting beside Garrus and him knowing her in a way most previous men she dated didn’t.

After dinner, the two decided to take a walk around the Presidium. As they walked they encountered a couple who were having a disagreement about whether the woman should get a vaccination for her baby. Jane couldn’t help but try and help the two. She had overheard the conversation and could tell that it was going circles so she asked Garrus if he would mind if she tried to help. After giving her a curious look he just nodded his head. It only took a few minutes before the issue was resolved and both couples were on their way. Farther along, they ran into a Hanar and a C-Sec office have a disagreement and again Jane stepped up and handled the situation with ease.

“That was very nice of you.” Garrus said as they left the C-Sec officer to continue his work.

“What? That? I can’t help it. If there are civilians that need help why not. Annie got me into it by saying, ‘We see dark stuff in our line of work. Helping civilians with mundane or every day problems reminds us why we fight.’” Jane says in her best Annie impersonation.

“I guess I can see that. It’s nice to remind yourself about who you are fighting to protect. Guess it would stop you from making the wrong choice.” Garrus contemplates.

“Exactly, look who’s coming around.” Jane jokes as she gives him a playful push. Garrus just chuckles as he puts his arm around her waist.

The two continue to walk but head down to the wards thinking of grabbing a drink in one of the bars. As they make their way down, they are stopped by a blond-haired man who claimed to be a fan. Jane was very polite with the man and gave him an autograph and a photo. As they stood their Jane could faintly hear Garrus growling and could now see what Annie had meant before. When they walked a way, Jane made a joke about the situation which seemed to bring Garrus’s growling back under control. There were a few comments that had been thrown in the direction of the two, either about the two being together at all or just on how Jane was dressed. After Garrus had almost beat a Turian who had made a racist comment about the two, Jane decided that maybe it was time they went home.

“Would it be okay if we went to your apartment? Annie was going out and she always turns that into an opportunity to have people over.” Jane asks.

She could hear Garrus start to purr again and when he answered he dropped his voice into the nice bass sound that Jane loved. “Sure. It’s not that far from here.”

The two hopped into a cab and headed to Garrus’s apartment. Jane was nervous. Before this date, she had asked Annie to help her prepare. Jane knew nothing of Turian physiology and she didn’t want to go into this blind. The amount of information that Annie had made Jane wonder what was up. Jane and Annie shared everything with each other and she knew that Annie hadn’t been with a Turian but the more Jane had thought about it the more she started to wonder how much Nihlus had affected her. Jane decided not to ask since it didn’t matter now with him being gone. No point in dragging up what could have been.

As they entered Garrus’s apartment, Jane couldn’t help the gasp that came out of her mouth as she looked out the window onto a beautiful view. They were on the 7th floor of the building and were looking out over a small lake that had trees lining the area. Jane wasn’t sure what kind of trees they were but the had nice deep red leaves and dark black trunks.

“They are the official tree of Palaven. I don’t think there is a human translation for the name but it represents strength. Because of the radiation on Palaven most plant life dies but this tree grows in abundance.” Garrus says, coming to stand beside her by the window.

“It’s beautiful.” Was all she could say. She felt Garrus slide his arm around her again and he pulled her close to his side. She leaned her head onto his shoulder while moving her arm around his waist. As she did so she could her Garrus’s purring become louder and from what Jane knew from Annie’s research is that Turians have sensitive hips.

Jane slowly turned to face Garrus reaching up to pull his forehead down to hers. Annie had explained the meaning of that move and Jane wanted to show Garrus that he meant a lot to her. They stood there for a few moments before Garrus lifted his head back enough to look into her eyes.

“Jane, I have to admit that I am out of my depth here. Joker sent me vids so I know a bit about what is to happen but I don’t want to rush into this. I don’t want to ruin what we have going.” Jane could hear and feel the rumbling in his chest and knew form the time they have spent together that he was nervous. “Garrus I am also out of my depth. All I know is the information that Annie has given me but I am willing to figure it out with you.” She says smiling at him.

Garrus flared out his mandibles in a smile. “I’d like that.” He bent his head down and brushed his plated mouth to hers.

The two made there way over to the couch and sat down. “Do you want to show me where to start or should we explore?” Jane asked, face burning bright red. She had never felt this nervous to be with someone. Even with John all those years ago, she had been so confident.

“Why don’t we start with you showing me how humans kiss. Turians don’t kiss so it is something I would like to learn.” Garrus tells her, still purring.

Jane nods her head and decides to get into a more comfortable position. She leaned in and started with a nice soft kiss that Garrus was familiar with. Garrus moved one of his hands to the small of her back and the other to between her shoulders. Jane could feel her body reacting to the slight touch and was shocked that her body was acting so quickly, even though they had yet to really do anything. Jane slowly opened her mouth to allow her tongue to sweep against his plates. She heard a hitch in Garrus’s breath and his purring started to get louder. Jane did it again until a moan escaped him allowing her access into him mouth. Jane felt Garrus’s hands tighten around her and found herself being moved to straddle him. She heard herself let out a giggle as he moved her but she kept her mouth busy with his.

Slowly they started to explore each other’s mouths. Garrus’s tongue was rougher then a humans and much longer as well. Jane found that the difference was quite satisfying. His tongue was more flexible and was able to wrap around hers as they continued to explore. While their mouths were busy, Jane started to move her hands. They had started on his chest but she found herself slowly moving them to go up and around his neck. She knew she had found a sensitive spot when his purring started to take on a more primal tone and he brought her in tighter. Jane massaged the spot over and over while his hands started to explore her. One of his hands rested on her waist as the other slid under the cut in the back of her romper. With him being Turian, his reach was much longer then Jane realized because soon he was cupping one of her breast which cause a moan to escape her.

They were just starting to readjust their position when Jane’s Omni-tool pinged. Jane was going to ignore it but Garrus stopped and pulled away. “Shepard, it could be important.” He says breathlessly.

Jane groaned as she pulled away know that he was right. She took a moment to compose herself before she answered.

‘ _Commander Shepard. Officer Bailey here with C-Sec. We seem to have a problem here concerning one of your crew. A Lieutenant-Commander Jackson.’_ The man informed her.

“Jackson.” Jane said sitting up straighter. “Is she alright?”

_‘That’s the thing Commander, she won’t let anyone examine her. She was leaving Chora’s Den when she was attacked but four human men. She fended them off long enough for help to arrive but… Well, I suggest you get down here.’_

“Bailey, send me the coordinates and we will be there right away.” Garrus said from behind Jane.

_‘Shit, Garrus, good to see you. Coordinates sent. Hurry though… I gave her my coat but if you have anything she could change into that would be better. Bailey, out.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get steamy when a call comes to pull them away, of course. But what could possibly have happened that Bailey needed to call Jane away? I hope it's nothing too bad!!


	45. Chapter 45 (Annabeth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters deal with assault/implied sexual assault. Nothing in-depth but I wanted people to know before and be prepared. Please let me know if I should add anymore warnings. Thanks again for reading!

“Annie… Annie are you okay.” Jane’s voice cut through Annabeth’s racing mind.

“J, is that you?” She turned to see Jane approaching her with Garrus and one of the officers.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?” Her voice sounded strange, almost broken as she approached her.

Annabeth knew she couldn’t lie to her so she told the truth. “No, I think my ribs might be damaged more and I might have broken my hand.” Annabeth's side was killing her but the throbbing in her hand wasn't to bad but she couldn't be sure.

“I could call one of the medical staff over.” The officer said. Annabeth recognized him as the one who had given her the coat that was now draped over her.

“No!” She practically shouted. She took a deep breath and continued more quietly. “No. Please, is there anyway we could get Chakwas or someone we already know?” Annabeth could hear the pleading in her voice and she hated it.

“I’ll message Dr. Michel. Her clinic isn’t far from here.” Garrus tells her. He was also giving her a concerned look and Annabeth wanted to punch someone. Mainly, one of her attackers but instead she looked down at the ground. Annabeth eventually nods to show that she was okay with that suggestion. They had talked about Dr. Michel a few times while on missions and felt that if Garrus trusted her then she would to. The officer told them that they were free to take her and that they could set up a meeting for the next day to get her statement on what happened. Jane helped her up and they lead her to the clinic.

\--

It didn’t take long for Dr. Michel to examine her and confirm that she had indeed reinjured her ribs but her hand was just sprained and would be better in a day or two. Annabeth had to strip off the rest of her tattered cloths to give to the Doctor for evidence before she could do the uncomfortable part of the exam.

Annabeth could hear Jane and Garrus on the other side of the curtain. She couldn’t make out what they were saying but it sounded like they were both trying to convince the other that they shouldn’t go and kill the men that had attacked her.

“Annabeth, I need you to relax. I know this is not what you want to be doing right now but it needs to be done.” Dr. Michel says softly. Annabeth takes a breath and nods her head. “Is this necessary? They didn’t get that far.” Annabeth asked the Doctor.

“I am afraid so. Standard procedure. I will be as quick as I can.” Annabeth nods again even though she doesn't want to. “Okay, open you legs and put them in the stirrups.” Annabeth complied and let the Doctor finish her examination.

Annabeth was left alone for a few minutes to put on the hospital gown that Dr. Michel had given her. Once it was on she sat back on the bed and pulled the curtain so that she could see what was happening. Dr. Michel, Garrus and Jane were standing on the far side of the room talking but when Jane saw that Annabeth was watching she moved over to her.

“Annie… how are you doing?” She asked. It was clear that Jane was trying not to cry.

“Jane. I’m fine. I was able to fight them off before they could do more then rip my clothes.” Annabeth told her. She could see that Jane wasn’t buying it so she continued. “You know I _have_ been through worst. This won’t stop me… and well… Yes, they did rip my favorite pair of panties but they didn’t get a chance to do more then that before I hit them with some biotic power.” She says with a small smile.

Jane returns the smile. “Okay… alright, I’ll let it drop for now.” She said. “Oh, you have to meet at C-Sec tomorrow at 1300 to give your statement. Bailey will also probably want his jacket back.”

Annabeth chuckles. “Doesn’t he know the rules… that jacket is mine now.” Jane just rolls her eyes.

As the two were talking Annabeth hadn’t noticed that someone else had joined them. “Hey, brought you some clothes so you don’t have to walk around naked. Not that I would complain.” Joker says tossing a bag at Annabeth.

She smiles at him. “Thanks.” She turned to her sister. “You told everyone, didn’t you?” Jane slowly got up and didn’t say anything which was answer enough. “Their all at the apartment, I guess?” Annabeth wasn't pleased but knew that Jane meant well.

Jane nods. “Yes. Get dressed and we can head home.” Jane closed the curtain dragging Joker with her. Annabeth opened the bag to find a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that she knew had to be Joker’s. He must have just grabbed anything he could find that would fit her and came straight there. She dressed quickly, felting bad because she was going commando since her underwear had been destroyed and she didn’t have a bra.

\--

“Bug! Are you alright!? Where are the _Bastards_ that did this? I will **_KILL_** them!” Wrex yelled the moment the door opened. Annabeth had been preparing for this the entire ride home, she knew that Wrex would want revenge.

“Dad, clam down! I’m fine, they are in worst condition then I am. The only reason I’m hurt is because they hit me in the ribs where I was already weak.” Annabeth sooths. “And besides, they’re already in custody.” Annabeth knew that this would not be enough so when she saw Anderson she gave him a pleading look.

“Let C-Sec handle this Wrex. You going to jail will not help.” Anderson tells him as he walks up to her. “How are you, Child?”

Annabeth gives him a quick hug trying to fight back tears. Even though Anderson was Jane's father, he was always there for Annabeth as well and having him there felt right. “I’m alright. I’ve been through worst but my side hurts a bit.”

“Refused pain meds I’m guessing.” Dr. Chakwas asks giving Annabeth a pointed look.

“Of course, she did. This is Beth we are talking about.” Ash pips in. Everyone laughs and they start to talk about the events of the evening. Annabeth wasn’t really in the mood to talk so she told everyone that she just wanted to have a shower and go to bed. Soon everyone had left leaving only Annabeth and Jane.

“Sorry I ruined you date.” Annabeth says looking at Jane.

She smiles. “Don’t worry about it. We have a week of shore leave so we can just pick up where we left of tomorrow night.” Annabeth felt terrible for breaking up everyone's night. They were supposed to be on shore leave relaxing not worrying about her.

“So, I take it things are going well.” She says smirking trying to hide what she was feeling. If she ignored the little voice inside her head and pushed everything away it would help for now.

“Yes, I would have to say so. I do know, however, that I need to wear more clothes that accentuate my waist. Apparently, that is something he likes.” Jane replied clearly understanding that that was what Annabeth needed.

Annabeth laughs. “I think we can work with that.”

\--

Annabeth didn’t sleep well that night. Her dreams kept switching from the events that had transpired to being a scared kid back on the Batarian ship. She woke at one point screaming which cause Jane to run into the room armed. When Jane realized there was no threat she sat with Annabeth while she tried to get a grip on reality. Annabeth’s mind kept playing tricks on her making everything worst then what had really happened and she was defenseless against it.

When morning finally came, Annabeth quietly slipped out of bed trying not to wake Jane who decided that she was just going to stay there and hold her. Annabeth made her way into the living area and decided the only way she was going to be able to hold things together when giving her statement was to meditate on what had happened and try and work her way through her mind.

Annabeth didn’t know how long she sat there meditating before Jane walked into the room. She knew it must be later then she realized when Jane started to make food. Giving up on meditation now that Jane was up, she moved to help with lunch. Looking at her omni-tool she realized that she only had two hours before she was supposed to be at C-Sec to give her statement.

“Garrus and I will come with you.” Jane says as if knowing what she had been thinking about.

“Okay, Thanks.” Annabeth was relieved that Jane had volunteered, she would have hated having to ask.

“No problem. I am there for moral support and Garrus knows most of the officers so at least he can help with that.” Annabeth nods her head knowing that even if she had a problem with that they were still going to come anyway. “What do you want to do tonight? We could order a movie. I know tomorrow is movie night but you and I can have two nights in a row if we want.”

“J you don’t have to say with me. You should go out with Garrus, I’ll be fine.” Annabeth hated the idea that Jane would be wasting another night of her shore leave taking care of her. She should be out having fun with her boyfriend. Who knew when they would get another chance.

“I’m not leaving you alone tonight, Annie! You should have someone here for you.” Annabeth knew that she wouldn't let the matter drop so she folded under her will. “Fine. I’ll see what Tali and Liara are up too. If they are busy I’m sure Dad will come over. You deserve to have fun J.” Annabeth thought the others deserved fun to but she knew that Liara and Tali were more then likely planning on being on the ship. Maybe she should invite Joker as well, he would enjoy a night with the girls.

Annabeth could see Jane thinking about what she had said. Jane looked at her sister and Annabeth put out the vibe of ‘I’m not backing down’ which seemed to work since she nodded her head. “Okay, fine. Let’s eat and get ready. Garrus should be here soon.” Was all she said and the two got back to preparing the food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that my warning was enough. If you think the warning needs more please let me know!


	46. Chapter 46 (Bailey)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter contains assault and attempted Sexual assault and may be offensive to some. It doesn't go into great detail but I thought a warning be used. Please let me know if you think more warning should be added.

Bailey had to give it to the women, she was tough as nails. When he came across what was happening in the ally, he was concerned that he wasn’t going to be able to make in time before more harm came to her. He radioed for backup as he ran towards her but before he could get anywhere close, the four men were hit with a biotic pulse pushing them all back. The woman then started to fight hand to hand with the men as they started towards her again. Bailey had yelled and got the attention of one of the attackers but the others stayed on the women. By the time Bailey had finished with the man that had came for him the other three were flat on there backs looking in bad shape.

Bailey rushed over to the woman as she collapsed onto the ground holding her side. She shrank away from him as he reached her so he stayed a few feet away form her. He slid off the jacket he had been wearing and offered it to her since her clothes were in ruins. It wasn’t long after that backup arrived and that the men were dealt with but anytime someone got to close to the woman, her biotics would flare in warning. Bailey was somehow able to coax out her name and who to contact.

Bailey punched in the information to connect him with the Commander. “Commander Shepard. Officer Bailey here with C-Sec. We seem to have a problem here concerning one of your crew. A Lieutenant-Commander Jackson.”

 _‘Jackson. Is she alright?’_ She asked. The concern in her voice was evident.

“That’s the thing Commander, she won’t let anyone examine her. She was leaving Chora’s Den when she was attacked by four human men. She fended them off long enough for help to arrive but… Well, I suggest you get down here.”

 _‘Bailey, send me the coordinates and we will be there right away.’_ The Turian behind her said.

“Shit, Garrus, good to see you. Coordinates sent. Hurry though… I gave her my coat but if you have anything she could change into that would be better. Bailey, out.” Bailey had to admit he was shocked to see Garrus. The Commander seamed to be dressed for a date. Not that Bailey had a problem with interspecies relationships he just never really got the idea that Garrus liked human women.

It didn't take long for the two had arrive, and when they did Bailey gave them a quick rundown of what had happened. As he talked he could hear Garrus getting more and more agitated. It got to the point where investigator Chellick had to come over and calm his old friend. Bailey was glad that the men had been taken to the hospital before they arrived because it looked like the Commander was also having problems with keeping her rage in check.

Once filled in, the Commander, Garrus and Bailey headed over to Jackson to try and get her medical help. The Commander and Garrus were able to talk Jackson into see one of the doctors in the wards and Bailey agreed that they could get her statement tomorrow. The woman had been through enough for the evening and needed rest.

\--

“Chellick, are you free? Garrus, Commander Shepard and Lieutenant-Commander Jackson are coming in soon and I think Garrus would be easier to handle if you were here.”

_‘Of course, Bailey. I’ll be right there.’_

Bailey didn’t have to wait long until Chellick joined him. “They should be here in about 15.” He informs the Turian.

“Sounds good. I think it be wise that we let Garrus and the Commander stay while Jackson gives her statement. They seem very protective over her.” Chellick replies.

“Yeah, I noticed that. Garrus didn’t seem to happy last night.” Bailey said as he remembered the anger that burned behind his eyes the night before.

“No. From what he was saying, I think he sees Jackson as family, a sister of sorts.” Chellick replies. Bailey was a little shocked by the response. One, because he didn't realize that the human and him were so close and two, he hadn't heard Garrus speak at all the night before other then to suggest going to the Doctor. “Saying? He didn’t really say anything.”

“Not that you could understand, no but you heard his subharmonics. That means something to Turians. Humans can’t understand it or hear it most of the time unless we explain them or if we get to emotional. Garrus seemed to be the latter last night.” Bailey thought on that while he waited for the group to arrive. The three showed up on time and was surprised to see that Jackson didn’t look as shaken up as he had expected.

“Alright, whenever you are ready, can you tell us what happened last night.” Bailey asked gently.

Jackson took a deep breath. “After Jane left for her date with Garrus, I decided that I was going to go out and have a few drinks. I have gone for drinks plenty of times by myself at Chora’s Den and thought, why not. So I got ready and headed out. After I had had a few drinks, I noticed this group of human men checking out one of the one of the other girls at the bar who was by herself. She was really drunk and I knew that it didn’t look good so I got up and told one of the Bartenders about the women. They thanked me for telling them and where able to get her a safe cab home. But in doing so the men noticed me. Now, I am a capable fighter and could tell that these men had nothing on me so I didn’t really think anything of it. When I finally decided that I had had enough, I left. As I was walking, I didn’t hear them approaching until they were right beside me. The one man put a hand over my mouth while the other punched me in the ribs. I was stunned by pain due to the fact that he just happened to hit where my ribs where already weak. When I recovered enough to fight they had already ripped off my underwear and were tearing off my dress. I charged my biotics and hit them so that they would be stunned. I heard someone yell but was to focused on the three men that had started towards me again. I fought them off until they were unconscious and then I collapsed to the ground. And well… you know what happened after that.” She finished.

Bailey could hear Garrus growling behind her and was glad that he had asked Chellick to join him since he seemed to be rumbling and trilling back trying to soothe the other Turian. “Thank you, Jackson. I know that must not have been easy for you.”

At that she looked up and gave him a weak smile. “I’ve been through worst.”

Bailey could tell form the look in her eyes that she wasn’t lying. He instantly felt for the women. She couldn’t be more then 30 and she had seemed to have gone through more then one person should.

Bailey smiled back. “That still doesn’t mean it was easy.”

“Thank you, Officer Bailey. Is there anything else you need?” Jackson asked. Bailey could tell that the woman wanted this over a soon as possible but she wanted to make sure that he had all of the information needed to do his report.

“No, we have everything else. Dr. Michel sent us the results of your injury’s and I have given my statement as well. If we need anything else, I’ll let you, Commander Shepard or Garrus know.” Bailey tells her.

The group got up to leave but Chellick asked Garrus and Bailey to stay. “You both know that this has to be reported to the Alliance, right?”

Both men nod knowing that was policy. “Is there anyway for you not to? I mean, if this is reported then she will have to stay here until cleared by a psychiatrist which could take time. We only have a few days left before we ship out again and we would be taking her family with us.” Garrus tells them. Bailey could tell that Garrus was fond of the girl and he wasn't sure why but Bailey also felt for her. She was definitely strong and capable but there was something about her that made you want to help.

“I know Garrus, you two seem close and the Commander also seems to be close to her. I don’t think separation would be good. So… unless someone higher up… Oh I don’t know… Say a Spectre were to order this under their review, we would have to report it.” Chellick replies with a grin.

Bailey smiles, catching on. “Of course, I have yet to send in any reports since I needed the final witness statement.”

Garrus chuckles. “I’ll be right back.” Only a few moments later, Garrus and the Commander returned.

“Gentlemen, I would like you to file this under Spectre business. I personally would like the two of you to handle the punishment for the men since I don’t have a clear mind in the matter.” The Commander says clearly happy that this would be dealt with quietly.

“Of course, Spectre Shepard.” Chellick nods.

“We will keep you informed.” Bailey grins.

The Commander smiles at them both.  She reaches over and give Bailey a quick hand shake and then give Chellick a traditional Turian grip before turning on her heel and leaving.

“I can see why you like her, Garrus.” Chellick says patting Garrus on the shoulder. “Just don’t screw it up. If I know one thing it’s I wouldn’t want to piss her or Jackson off.”

Garrus laughs. “You have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Bailey PoV? What did you think? I liked writing from his point of view. It was nice to have someone outside of the main plot to write. I hope you liked it :)


	47. Chapter 47 (Ashley)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my first attempt at some smut. Hope you enjoy!

“Do you think we should stop by and check on her?” Ash asked as she leaned up against one of the rails overlooking the Presidium lake.

“No, I don’t think so. If she wanted us there she would tell us and I’m sure Shepard is there.” Kaidan replied standing beside her.

“I don’t think so. I think her a Garrus are out tonight too.” Ash says thinking of the conversation she had had earlier with Shepard. Before Kaidan could reply, Ash’s Omni-tool went off.

 **_AJ:_ ** _Hey, I just got a message from J checking up on me and I thought I would just go ahead and message you. I’m fine. Liara, Tali and Joker are with me and will probably be spending the night so go have fun, damn it!_

Ash let out a laugh before showing Kaidan the message. “I guess your right.” She sent a quick, ‘Yes Ma’am’ back before turning back to him. “So, what now?”

“Well, do you want to go for a walk? Or grab a drink?” Kaidan supplied.

Ash knew what she wanted to do but wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. She and Kaidan spent all their down time together and had been on three official dates now and she was hoping to maybe take things to the next level. She knew that Kaidan was a gentleman and would probably wait until she jumped him before making a move so she decided to give him a hint. “We could do that, or we could go back to the hotel…”

It took a moment for Kaidan to get what she was implying and when he did, she could see the blush that was building. “Oh! Yeah… we could definitely do that. If that’s what you want.”

“I wouldn’t have suggested it, if it wasn’t what I wanted Kaidan.” Ash told him. She was never one for being subtle. Most men when they found out that she was religious generally assume that means that she was weird about sex. She never understood why people assumed just because you believe in God doesn’t mean you are a prude.

The two made their way back to the hotel and headed to Kaidan’s room. Before opening the door Kaidan turned to her, “You know once we do this, there is no going back. We will have to tell the Alliance once the mission is over.”

Ash nodded her head. “I know, we can see how things go. Who knows, maybe we will do this and find that we aren’t right for each other and we just stay friends. If we are meant to be together then I would rather us figure it out now instead of years’ form now and wishing we had gotten together sooner. You know?” That was always of of Ash's fears and why she was almost always up front about everything. She wanted to live her life with as few regrets as possible.

“Yeah, I can see your point. I wouldn’t want to regret not trying because I was too worried about what may or may not happen in the future.”

“Good.” Was all she said before stepping closer to him and brushing a soft kiss across his lips. “Now could you please open the door?”

Kaidan chuckles as he turns and enters the passcode. Ash followed him in and as soon as the door closed she grabbed his arm and turned him around to face her. It wasn’t until they were standing outside his door she realized how much she wanted him. It had slowly built and now was time for her to let loose and see what happened.

She pushed him up against the wall and kissed him. Softly at first as if testing out the waters but soon she found herself opening her mouth and running her tongue over his lips. He let out a soft groan as she slid her tongue into his mouth to dance with his. Ash pushed her body against his and ran her hand down his chest while his hands had moved over her shoulders down her back and now rested on her ass.

Ash slide her hand under the hem of his shirt and slowly started to lift it as she explored every bit of his muscles with her hands. As she did so she could feel the something building in her stomach and she couldn't help but groan at the thoughts that entered her mind. She wanted to see him naked. She had fantasized about it for weeks now and had to admit that she never expected him to be so muscular. Of course she knew he was in shape, you had to be in this job but damn was his six-pack and pecks sexy under her touch.

They broke their kiss only momentarily while Ash lifted his shirt over his head and threw it off to the side. Kaidan took that as a chance to move them towards the bed but they didn’t make it. He had stopped short of the door, pinning her to the wall. He broke their kiss and unlike Ash, as he started to lift her shirt he knelt and started trailing kisses up her toned stomach. His hands were a head of his kisses and when he got her bar, he quickly ran his hands to the back and unclipped it causing a gasp to leave her lips. His hands moved back to the front and started to massage her breasts, running a finger over her hardened nipples. Ash let out a quiet groan that grew louder when his mouth finally caught up.

Ash moved her hands form his shoulders and removed her shirt and bra the rest of the way throwing them god knows were. Using his mouth Kaidan keep rising licking here and biting there causing Ash to groan and gasp. Ash could tell that he was loving the fact that he was turning her from hardened soldier to a sloppy mess. Whenever she let out a noise of pleasure he would chuckle before continuing to finding the next spot. Ash knew that when it was her turn he wouldn’t be so smug.

Finally, his lips were back on hers and he pressed her harder against the wall. Ash could feel his erection against her and couldn’t help moving her hips so as to rub against him causing him to groan. Ash was about to do it again but found herself being picked up. She let out a girlish giggle that she didn’t quite recognize as herself as Kaidan had one hand under her ass and the other on her back as he carried her to the bed.

Kaidan set her down gently and then quickly pushed her back so she was lying flat and started to remove her pants. Ash’s mind was racing. She love how he was gentle but strong and it was driving her crazy. He had made short work of removing her pants and boots leaving only her black lace underwear on. He stared down at her with hunger in his eyes as he leaned over and started kissing and licking his way up her legs, briefly skimming over her center before making his way back up to her mouth. Ash groaned as he moved, he was hitting all the rights spots on his trail up to her mouth.

Once his mouth was back on hers, Ash wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled his body onto hers. She could feel his erection through his pants and was frustrated that they were still on. She quickly fixed the problem by flipping him onto his back, surprising a chuckle out of him before it was overtaken with moaning as she started kissing and licking her way down to his pants. She undid them and took his pants and boxers off at the same time. No need to have another layer to be removed later. Once he was free of his clothes and Ash had removed her panties and they gave each other a moment to check each other out.

Ash’s eyes rested on Kaidan’s member and could tell that it was of average size for a human but she was not at all disappointed. “You’re beautiful, Ash.” Kaidan told her as she climbed back onto the bed. Ash smirked and replied “And you are so gorgeous.” Ash was now lying beside him, the two started to use their hands to explore each other and give pleasure.

The two spent the next couple hours together, tangled in the sheets, giving each other pleasure over and over until too exhausted to continue. Kaidan had quickly learned all of Ash’s weak points, so when he needed a breather he would work those spots until she was seeing stars.

“Well, that was… amazing.” Kaidan said as he pulled her closer to him.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind doing that again.” She laughed.

“I’d like that.” He said softly as they both drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first time smut, what did you think? I thought I would start with the Human relationship since, well, I can relate ;) But I will be trying out other smut soon. I hope you are enjoying the Kaidan/Ash relationship!!


	48. Chapter 48 (Jane)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here goes another attempt at smut!

Jane and Garrus sat at the kitchen table waiting for Liara, Tali and Joker to arrive. Jane knew that if she hadn’t been there waiting, Annie wouldn’t have invited anyone over. Jane knew this was a time to be stubborn. Annie should not be alone after what had happened yesterday and after Annie had awoken Jane up screaming, she knew that it was something more than just the attack that was bothering her.

When Jane had woken in the morning to find Annie already out of bed, she panicked. It wasn’t until she remembered how Annie liked to meditate through her problems that she relaxed enough to leave the bedroom in a calm manner. She had been right; Annie was sitting in the middle of the living room with a slight shield of biotics around her looking at peace. Jane never understood how Annie had gotten into meditation. When they were younger, Annie was way too high strung to sit still for a few moments let alone hours on end. When the two had reunited she was happy to see that Annie hadn’t changed at all except this one thing. She meditated. Jane knew that she couldn’t possibly have learned it from Wrex so she assumed that maybe the instructors in the Alliance had gotten her into it. Jane had never asked but was happy to see Annie whenever she was doing it. It seemed to balance her in a way.

That was one of the main reasons why Jane had been comfortable enough to not report the attack to the Alliance. Yes, Annie had been through a lot in her life but Jane knew that if she sidelined Annie, she would not recover the way she needed to. It didn’t help that if she did go through the Alliance for this problem, Annie would be separated from not only her sister but her father, new best friend and family. Yes, Anderson and Kahlee would have been there but Jane knew that what Annie needed was to just keep moving forward. If she or anyone else saw any changes in behaviour then Jane would force Annie into counselling but until then, it was business as usual.

“You know, we can stay here instead if you want.” Garrus says, clearly seeing the doubt on Jane’s face.

Jane gave him a small smile. “No. Annie already told me that I am not allowed to use this as an excuse to ‘not live my life.’”

Garrus chuckles at that. “She knows that us spending time together with her is still living our lives right?”

Jane laughs, “This is Annie we are talking about. She could tell within moments of seeing me last night she had interrupted us.” As she says this her face starts to get warm.

Garrus clears his throat trying to stop the rumbling that was coming from him. Jane could tell even from where she was that it was a rumble of embarrassment. “Oh… well… I see.”

“Yeah, so unless you want a really awkward conversation with Annie and everyone else when they get here, I would suggest you drop it.” Jane says as she reaches out to grab his hand.

“Fair enough.” He replies, accepting her five digit hand in his three.

A few minutes later the door chimed and Annie came running from her room yelling, “I got it.” Signaling Jane and Garrus both to get up and made their way to the door as well since Jane had promised to leave once someone else got there.

“Hi Liara, Tali, Joker!” Annabeth said as the door swooshed open. Annie gave both women a hug and even managed to trap Joker in one before he could sneak away.

“All right, all right already. Geez, Beth to mushy.” Joker complains but Jane can see that the man secretly liked the affection that Annie was showing him. Jane knew that Annie was probably one of the only people that would have been able to get away with hugging Joker without causing a scene.

“Alright, now you two leave and have a good time on your date.” Annie said turning to Jane and Garrus.

Jane knows not to argue and takes Garrus’s hand and heads out the door. As it slides closed she heard Annie’s voice, “Make good choices” causing Jane to laugh. Garrus looked at her curiously but she just waved her hand and told him it was nothing and the two went on their date.

It didn’t take long for the couple to end up back where they were the previous night. Jane was straddling Garrus while they explored each other. Jane loved how quickly Garrus seemed to pick up on how to touch her and where.

Garrus grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it up over head and tossed it to the side and stared at her. Jane was starting to feel self-conscience when he said, “That wasn’t there last night.” Jane was confused for a moment until she remembered that last night she hadn’t been wearing a bra. “Oh… yeah, last night my outfit wouldn’t allow a bra. Here, I’ll get it.” She reached up behind her back but before she could undo the clasp he grabbed her hands. “No. Let me.”

Jane looked at him before replying. “Are you sure? The bra is the bane of most human men.” He chuckled as he replied, “Yes, but none of them are this gorgeous specimen in front of you, are they?” Jane rolled her eyes but let her hands drop. Garrus slide his hand around back and started to try and get the bra off. It took all of Jane’s will power not to laugh as he started to growl in annoyance but was failing. Her body started to shake as the laugh finally released from her mouth. In a growl of frustration, Jane heard the sound of ripping material and found that her bar was now loose, knowing that Garrus had used his claws instead of the clasp.

Jane wanted to be mad because that was one of her more expensive bras but when she saw the look of triumph on Garrus’s face she couldn’t help but laugh some more. “Next time just let me show you. These things aren’t cheap you know.” She said, still trying to compose herself. She heard him grumble but had not noticed his hands removing the bra the rest of the way. She was effective shut up when his mouth found her breast, making her moan. Jane was impressed and knew that Garrus must have paid attention to Joker’s ‘research’ because he knew exactly what he was doing. A lick here and a nip there all the while his other hand was massaging the other breast.

Jane could feel the building of heat in her stomach and decided that it was time to move locations. She doesn’t quite know how they made it from the living room to the bedroom but somehow they had managed. Jane was trying to pull Garrus’s shirt off but like the bra he used one of his claws to tear it off. Jane pushed Garrus onto the bed and removed both his and her pants. They were both now fully naked and staring at each other. They looked over every inch of each other’s bodies as if trying to commit them to memory. Jane started a little when she looked at his groin to find that, yes in fact, Turian penises do retract from their plates. Jane had thought Annie was joking but apparently not.

It only took a moment of checking each other over with their eyes before Jane climbed onto the bed and started to explore his alien body. She kissed, licked and nibbled her way up his body causing him to moan out and clench his fits into the sheets. Jane couldn’t help the smile that crawled across her face whenever his moans became louder. Jane was not expecting, however, to be all of a sudden thrown onto her back and have Garrus on top of her. She would never admit to the squeal of pleasure that escaped her as it happened nor would she admit that it had turned her on even more. No need letting it go to his already inflated ego, she thought.

Garrus had been making his way farther and farther down her stomach kissing, licking and was that purring? Whatever it was Jane loved the feeling the vibrations gave her and cried out when Garrus ran his tongue along her inner thigh. Jane could feel the heat in her center and was starting to get annoyed that he was taking his time but all that was forgotten when his tongue slipped between her folds. When Jane moaned out Garrus stopped and looked at her giving her a cocky grin before continuing. Jane could feel the building in her gut and told Garrus that she was close. He seemed to take that as a challenge as his tongue seemed to lick her even faster and harder. Jane's back arched of the bed, screaming his name as she rode out her orgasm.

Looking smug Garrus came up and kissed her. “Well, how was that. Do you approve of the research I did?” He hummed. Jane was going to reply but she couldn’t stand the cocky tone in his voice so she decided she would respond by flipping him onto his back and kiss and biting her way down his chest. Jane could see the smug look drop off his face as she did so and thought, ‘You just wait, Big Guy. It gets better.’

Jane wasn’t sure when Garrus’s member had came out but she had to admit it was impressive. It was similar to a humans but was thicker, ‘God I hope I can take that,’ had ridges, ‘Oh! That might feel good!’ and the tip was a bit more pointed. Jane used her hands to lightly stroke him causing his hips to buck. Jane chuckled as she did it again causing Garrus to growl as he said her name. Jane knew that she was being mean so she decided it was time to move on.

Jane bent her head and licked from the base to tip of his member causing Garrus to start. Jane looked up and saw pleasure and confusion in his eyes. ‘So, he didn’t do his research as well as he thought.’ Jane mused as she licked him again. Garrus watched as Jane used her tongue on him. She could tell he was fighting with wanting to watch or to give over to pleasure. It was decided for him when Jane took him into her mouth and started to suck.

Jane used her mouth until she felt his body starting to clench. He moaned, telling her he was close so she used her hands to massage between his plates on his hips. It was enough for him to be pushed over the edge. He unloaded into her mouth and Jane was surprised that it tasted similar enough to humans. Jane slowly made her way up Garrus’s side kissed his mandible.

“Jane, that was amazing.” Garrus said turning to her. “I have never had anyone do that before.” Jane was confused for a moment and then it made sense. “What? A blow job?”

Garrus nods his head. “I mean… I don’t think any species does that.” Jane thought about that for a moment and it made sense. With Turian teeth like that, no male would willing let something that deadly near their pride and joy.

Jane laughs. “Humans do. Well not all humans but most. So… how long do we have to wait until you are ready?”

Garrus looked at her. “I don’t think I understand. What do you mean ready?”

“Until you are hard again.” She really hoped it wouldn't be too long, she was fired up and ready to go.

“Jane, look down.” Jane did as she was told and looked down and she could see that he was very hard and couldn’t help the surprise in her voice. “That quick!”

“It’s been like that the whole-time Jane.” Jane looked at him to see if he was joking and found no hint of a joke. “Oh… human men need time between orgasms before they can go again.” Jane felt her cheeks flush.

“Really? It’s the opposite for us. Our women need time between rounds. You don’t?” Garrus asked looking shocked.

“No, human women can have multiple orgasms before we are done.” Jane said, now feeling better that he was a lost as she was.

“Well, I guess we are just going to have to see who tires first.” Garrus says, his cocky ego coming back.

“I guess we will” Jane laughs as she rolls on top of him to start their next round.

The two spend hours giving each other pleasure. It didn’t take long for Jane to get accustomed to Garrus’s size and once they were sure she was fine they found their rhythm. Garrus had been shocked during Jane’s first orgasm not knowing that humans clench on release but once Jane reassured him it was alright the two continued. They went round after round until they both were to tired to move. At the end they just laid there staring at each other until sleep over took them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for my first interspecies smut what did you think? Good? Bad? Absolutely Terrible? I think it was okay and I know that some would wish I went more indepth but give it time! I will hopefully get better!


	49. Chapter 49 (Annabeth)

Annabeth woke the next morning to find Joker, Liara, Tali and herself all piled into her bed. The night before had been filled with laughs and booze and Annabeth was not surprised that they had crashed in her bed. Annabeth had insisted that she got a King-sized bed for herself when she and Jane got the place because whenever Em had come over the three girls always ended up sleeping in her room just like the others were now. When she knew that she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, Annabeth carefully got out of bed. Before leaving, she checked to made sure that Joker was alright then turned and headed for the kitchen to make some coffee and breakfast.

It wasn’t long after she had put on the bacon that the others came out to join her. “What’s that I smell?” Liara asked. “Oh, this my Asari friend is bacon.” Annabeth told her. Joker nearly fell off his stool he was about to sit on. “Bacon! Like real bacon?”

Annabeth laughed, “Yep. Strait form earth. I buy the good stuff when on leave, well really all the time. I mean I would rather spend my money on good food then almost anything else. And with J and I sharing the apartment there aren’t many expenses.” She smiled before turning to Tali, “I have some Dextro food in the fridge. I asked one of the Turians at the store to help me pick out some good stuff so help yourself.” Tali nodded and started to make herself some food.

About 20 minutes later they were sitting at the kitchen table chatting when Jane and Garrus arrived. “Good morning you two. I can see your date went well.” Annabeth says as they approach. Annabeth could see the blush that spread across Jane's face. “Annie!” She said as she slapped Annabeth’s arm. Annabeth grinned and gave Garrus a wink before telling the two that there was more food if they wanted something to eat.

“So, what did you guys do last night?” Jane called form the kitchen.

“We drank, we talked, we had good laughs. You know the usual.” Annabeth shrugged. After all the times that Annabeth and Jane had had Em over she knew that Jane would understand what 'the usual' entailed.

“The usual?! Hell, if you normally wake up with Tali and Liara in your bed I’m going to have to come here more often!” Joker says with a grin on his face. Annabeth couldn't help the snort of amusement that escaped her as she looked at Joker's face.

“Well that sounds like and interesting night.” Garrus says eyeing them all. “I thought the point was for you to stay out of trouble.” Annabeth could tell that he was joking for the most part but she could tell that he was really concerned for her.

“Oh, don’t worry Garrus. Nothing happened and besides, it would depend on your definition of trouble.” Annabeth said as she pokes Garrus in the arm.

“Uh-huh.” Garrus replies as everyone else laughs.

The group sat around for a while just talking before they decided to get the day started. Everyone left the apartment except Annabeth and Jane who needed to prepare to have everyone over that evening. As soon as the door closed Annabeth turned to her sister and said, “Spill”. The two sat and talked for a few hours going over every detail of Jane's night. Most people would find it strange that the two were so open when it came to talking about sex with each other but they never really thought about it. From the moment they were reunited Jane, Annabeth and Em always shared their sex stories. They left some of the gritter details out most of the time but they liked to live vicariously though each other.

“Wow! I got to get me a Turian. Except the chafing part sounds terrible. Good thing neither of you are allergic.” Annabeth said as Jane finished. Annabeth couldn't imagine being allergic to Dextro amino acids and having to watch your step so to speak when it came to food. Annabeth had been tested when Wrex adopted her but every soldier was retested ever five years. The Alliance need to know what they were asking of their men and women. Garrus on the other hand had to be tested do to his work with C-Sec, they didn't want one of their officers going down due to some bad Levo reaction.

Jane laughed, “Annie, you’re such a loser. But I will say this, you do need to get out and date. When was the last date you were on? Hmm?” Annabeth knew that Jane didn't mean it the way it sounded but she couldn't help the ping of sadness that washed through her.

“Just before we left Earth, thank you very much.” Annabeth replied with some sass in her voice trying to cover the hurt. “It was a good date but… to bad it didn’t work out.” She finished a bit more sadly then she would have liked.

“Oh, Annie. I’m sorry! I didn’t even realise… Nihlus seemed like a good guy.” Jane said dismayed. Annabeth now felt worse. She had never told Jane about her and Nihlus's potential budding relationship and now it was coming to bite her in the butt.

“It’s okay J. I didn’t tell you because you were busy being XO and then everything else that happened I just thought there was no need. I mean he died so there is no point dragging up the past, right?” Annabeth said looking into her sisters eyes hoping to convey that she was okay.

“Annie…” Jane says, seeing the sadness behind her eyes. “I know you. You can tell me these things. I know you are protecting me because of the stresses of what is going on right now but you are my sister. You come first.” Annabeth loved that Jane thought that she hadn't told her about Nihlus to protect her but deep down Annabeth knows that she was really trying to protect herself. Telling Jane would have meant it was real.

“That is exactly why I didn’t tell you. This mission needs to come first. I am a big girl, I can handle myself and it was only one date and a couple of weeks of flirting. A good date but one date so I think I can manage. I think it is hitting me a little harder than normal because it was so soon after Em…" Annabeth knew that she was denying the truth but that's what she did best when it came to getting through the hard times. "Anyway, we are going to a dark place and I will not accept it. Now let’s get ready for tonight.” Annabeth says standing, grabbing Jane’s hand and forcing them to set to work.

\--

“What are we watching tonight?” Garrus asked as he sat down next to Jane.

Tonight was Annabeth's turn to choose the movie and she was excited to show it. She had a feeling that Garrus and the others would love it! “Oh… I think you will like it. Remember when I told you about Batman?” Annabeth waits for him to nod before continuing, “Well I found a decent copy of ‘Batman Begins’. It’s not the best movie of the series but until you understand who or what Batman is, this is the one to watch.”

“Batman, if we are watching Christian Bale’s Batman we have to watch ‘The Dark Knight’ it’s the best in the series.” Joker scoffs.

Annabeth couldn't help but agree, one because it had the best bad guy and two because in Annabeth's mind it fully encompassed who Batman truly was. “I know that ‘The Dark Knight’ is the best but for the people in the room who have no knowledge of Batman, it’s a good place to start.” Annabeth countered and Joker conceded the point. The whole group got cozy and they were able to watch not only ‘Batman Begins’ but also ‘The Dark Knight’ which made Joker happy in the end.

\--

The rest of their shore leave went without incident and the crew found themselves getting ready to leave. The two Officers from C-Sec that had been in charge of Annabeth’s case were able to sentence the men for assault and attempted sexual assault giving them 15 years each in prison. Both Bailey and Chellick had come to see them off and give them the news. Annabeth was relieved to hear that the bastards got what they deserved and was thankful to both men for leaving the Alliance out of the situation. Bailey asked about his jacket and Annabeth apologized saying she had ‘forgot’ it at the apartment and told him that she would get it to him on next shore leave. Annabeth could tell the man already knew he was never getting his jacket back but he seemed to be okay with that.

Once they had said their thanks and good-byes to the two Officers, the group boarded the Normandy and prepared for takeoff. Joker had also made a comment about not getting his pants and shirt back but Annabeth made a joke about having no idea what he was talking about before heading down to the Cargo Bay.

Soon they had left the Citadel, Jane told the crew that they had some missions that the Alliance Brass had wanted them to help with as well as two side missions for both Wrex and Garrus that they were going to do before heading to Noveria. Annabeth knew of the missions for her Father and best friend and she had to admit she was nervous about the mission Garrus was on. She wasn’t quite sure if he will be able to put aside his revenge/ego for the mission. Annabeth and Jane had had a quick discussion about it when they found out and both agreed that they wanted to take Dr. Saleon alive for trial but it seemed that Garrus might have other plans.

Once they arrived at the ship Dr. Saleon was to be on, Annabeth could feel Garrus getting more tense as they made their way through the ship, killing what must have been the Doctor’s new experiments. Jane had chosen to bring Annabeth and Kaidan as back up knowing that Annabeth and Kaidan where the best to help keep Garrus in check. When they entered the room the Doctor tried to play them but Garrus was confident that this man was indeed Dr. Saleon. It took a bit of convincing but Jane and Annabeth were able to talk Garrus into arresting the Salarian over killing him. This, however, was not what the Doctor wanted to hear and so he opened fire. The Salarian didn’t stand a chance and in the end, Garrus got to see what Jane and Annabeth had been saying all along. Annabeth had could tell that even though things hadn't got to plan, Garrus was coming around to the idea of do process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and her denial, every now and then her true thoughts and feels slip out but she quickly buries them again. It will come back to bite her in the ass at some point, the question is when?


	50. Chapter 50 (Jane)

The crew of the Normandy spent the next two weeks doing missions for the Alliance. One involved talking down Major Kyle and his ‘cult’ of biotic followers. If It hadn’t been for Annie things might have turned out different but she was able to convince the man to turn himself in to the Alliance without a fight. Another involved helping Chairman Burns who had been kidnapped by a group of extreme Biotics that wanted reparations for their L2 implants. Thankfully, Jane had brought both Kaidan and Annie along with her and with the three of them were able to talk down the group and helped the Chairman get out alive.

While the group were doing these missions, Annie and Garrus finally agreed that they were both in good enough condition to have their sparing match. Everyone aboard was excited to see the match so when Jane had ordered the Normandy to orbit a near by planet for the next few hours, everyone knew that the show was about to start.

Garrus and Annie were not joking around when it came to sparing. With the help of Wrex and Ash they had turned part of the Cargo Bay into a make shift sparing arena. They had laid out all of the mats that were on the ship plus they had move several creates out of the way to make more room.

“Alright, Everyone!” Jane yelled to the assembled crowd. “I know that you are all excited to see who will win out in the battle to be the Best Hand to Hand specialist on the Normandy-” Jane was cut off when both Garrus and Annie said, “Galaxy.” Causing everyone to laugh. “Okay, Galaxy. However, I do expect you both functional and able to go on mission tomorrow if need be. So, the rules are: No biotics, no injuring, everything else is fair game, fight dirty if you want but the first to tape out looses. Understood?” Jane sees both Annie and Garrus nod their heads. “Okay, fight will start in 2 minutes. If you are wanting to place a bet, talk to Joker.” Jane knew that if the Alliance found out she allowed betting to happen on her ship she would be in serous trouble but it helped keep moral up and like everyone kept reminding her, as a Spectre she worked for the Council so really their was nothing that they could do.

Everyone was bustling around trying to find the best place to watch the match or heading over to Joker. Jane, however, walked over to Annie. “How you doing?” Jane asked. Annie looked up at her with a devilish grin and a sparkle in her eyes. “I promise not to break your boyfriend, J.” What was she going to do with these two, Jane thought. Both of them had an ego the size of the Normandy herself.

Jane laughed, “Oh, is that right? You know one day you might find someone who will get you on your back.” Jane smirked knowing that Annie would get the double meaning in what she said.

“Maybe.” She shrugged, her grin widening. “But that day is not today. Besides you really think that anyone would win against me without me letting them?” Again her ego showing.

“Maybe.” Jane replies pushing her a little. “But then they would have to get past Wrex, Garrus and me. I don’t envy the man. I mean you are the reason that Garrus is even here, Wrex only took a liking to him because of you and Anderson has yet to really meet him but accepts him because of you. When it comes to the other way around... Well, let us hope he is strong willed.” They both laughed knowing that this was the sad truth. Before Jane could walk way to wish Garrus luck Annie grabbed her and pulled her close to whisper, “You know I’m going to win, right.”

Jane pulled back and smiled; She wasn’t going to tell Annie what she thought. In all honesty, yes, Jane thought that Anne would win but she wasn’t going to tell her that. It would give her to much confidence, which she didn’t need any more of. Jane winked at her then walked over to Garrus.

“So, any tips? You have been fighting with her for a long time, any tricks I should know about?” Garrus asked as he bent down to touch her forehead to his.

“No. I will not give you any information about Annie, that's cheating, but I will tell you not to under estimate her. She is sneaky and tricky and will try to get into you head, so be ready.” Jane told him quietly trying to make it at least some what a fair fight.

Garrus gave a low rumble of acknowledgment before Jane turned and spoke to the crowd once more. “Okay everyone. Now before they start I will say this. No crowd interference. If someone does interfere that person will be on latrine duty until Saren is dealt with. Do I make myself clear?” Jane paused waiting for the crew to acknowledge. “Good. Now…” Jane walked over to where Joker was sitting and grabbed her seat. “Let the fight begin.”

The was a loud cheer which quickly died into silence as everyone watched with bated breath as the two started to circle. As Jane had warned Garrus, Annie started to talk, trying to goat some action or emotion out of the Turian but either Garrus was prepared or he just wasn’t listening. When Annie saw that her tactic wasn’t working, she switched it up by throwing the first punch. Garrus easily saw it coming and blocked the blow. Jane could see that Annie’s punch, though full of force, was just to gauge what the reaction would be. Garrus threw his own punch but Annie wasn’t there. She had somehow moved to his now open side and land a kidney shot. If Garrus had been anything but Turian, or Krogan, that shot would have brought him down but with Turian plating it didn’t do much damage but did cause him to reconsider her. They continued to circle each other testing their reach and movements.

“Come on. Get to the good stuff!” Joker groaned which cause everyone to laugh.

“Joker, would like a good fight or a quick fight?” Jane asked knowing the answer without being told.

Joker mumble something Jane couldn’t hear but he shut up and watched. The two fighting, however, didn’t seem to notice the outburst but they both had started to attack and deflect blows at a quite quicker pace. Jane was actually quite impressed with how Garrus was handling himself. Jane new that Annie like to ‘play with her food’ so to speak and Garrus was doing a good job and making it less play. The blows were soon becoming faster and there were a few times that one of them ended up on the ground but they would recover quickly.

Minutes past and the sparing was getting intense, both Garrus and Annie were drenched in sweat and backed off to catch their breath. Jane could see the smile that was playing on Annie’s lips. “You may have a good reach Vakarian but I have flexibility.” Annie jabbed.

Garrus, who seemed a bit more winded just chuckled in response as they started towards each other again. This time, however, Annie decided she had had enough and ran at him, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his neck before swinging her momentum to take him to the mat. While they fell, she managed to flip their landing so Garrus was laying face down on the mat with both arms behind him. Annie then smacked his fringe causing him to growl out in pain. Garrus struggled for a few moments before finally tapping out.

Annie loosened her grip and said for everyone to hear, “Flexibility over reach every time.” At that she stood up and walked to the elevator and left the Cargo Bay with a shit eating grin on her face. The room was filled with laughs and groans as Joker started handing out the money

“Well, you lasted longer then I would have thought Garrus. Well done.” Jane said as she walked over to Garrus. He turned to her, giving her a suspicious look. “You knew she was going to win?”

Jane grinned up at him, “Oh, of course my dear Turian. Annie is the best Hand to Hand specialist I have ever seen. And I mean ever, I haven't seen anyone of any species be able to take her down but you are a close second though. You are the first person I have every seen get her tried after a sparing match.” Jane knew that it had been mean not to at least worn Garrus about Annie's skills but he needed to learn for himself.

Joker laughed with a knowing look in his eyes, “So that’s the real reason that you didn’t bet.”

“Pretty much.” She laughed and everyone joined in.

Garrus bent over to purr into her ear. “You know, I still have some stress to work out and I believe you now own me for not telling me the truth.” Jane let out a silent gasp at the words. She could hear the rumble in his chest and could help the heat that raced down her body. “Oh, I would love to.”

\--

“Just a few more minutes.” Garrus whined when they alarm went off.

Jane switched the alarm for five more minutes as she curled up onto his chest. Garrus hugged her close as if he were trying to make them one person. “Garrus… little tight… can’t breathe.” Jane gasped out.

“Oh… sorry. Your so squishy I just forgot for a moment. Ohff… What was that for?” Jane had just elbowed the mocking Turian in the side.

“To show you squishy humans are still though.” She hadn't hit him hard, just hard enough to surprise him.

Garrus chuckled, “I think Beth proved that yesterday. Not that I would ever agree to saying this but damn she is a good fighter.”

Jane laughed, “I am not kidding when I say she is the best I have ever seen. I think it is because she is so damn unpredictable. I mean, I was the best hand to hand fighter of my year during N7 and Annie can kick my butt easy.” Jane would never tell that to Annie directly but she didn't need to, the results spoke for themselves and Annie could basically dance circles around her when fighting.

“Yeah, it seemed like she wasn’t giving it her all in the beginning. Almost like she was toying with me.” Garrus hummed as he remembered the fight.

“That’s because she was. She likes to play with people so that she can better assess them and to help them learn. According to her anyway. I just think she likes driving her opponents insane.” Jane mused.

Garrus thought about that and was just about to reply when the alarm sounded again. “Well, Dear. Time to get up.” Jane sighed as she extracted herself from Garrus’s limbs and began to dress. She could hear the Garrus’s low growl at having to get up but eventually he did, he seemed to sense that Jane had already started to think of the day’s missions and nothing would bring her back until they were done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth 1, Garrus 0. Well I guess we will just have to keep score. ;)


	51. Chapter 51 (Annabeth)

“Well, Dad was it worth the fight to get it?” Annabeth asked Wrex as they sat in the mess. Wrex was examining the armor that they had fought to get a couple days before.

“It’s always worth the fight Bug but the armor is useless. I can’t believe my ancestors wore that crap, but at least I have it back.” Wrex tells her. Annabeth was surprised at how gentle he handled the old metal. If she didn't know better she would think he was being... delicate.

“Awe look at you getting all sentimental on me.” Annabeth jests.

Wrex grunts at her and gives her a glare before getting up. “I’m not sentimental.” Is all he says as he leaves for the Cargo Bay. Annabeth laughs as she finishes her coffee. Annabeth was just washing her cup when Garrus and Jane emerged from her room. “Morning you two.” She smiles at them, happy that they have finally seen reason and have started to share Jane’s cabin. Garrus sleeping in the Mako was always a little ridiculous to her but he had found it more comfortable then the crew quarters and apparently it was the only place in the Cargo bay to escape Wrex's snoring.

“Morning.” Jane says as she grabs some coffee. “I have to head up to the bridge to see Joker before I can get to work on my reports. We are heading to Noveria next.” Jane informs them. It was always strait to work with her the moment she left her cabin. The Commander was always in charge until all the work was done and then the Commander would relax in to Jane.

“Okay, here.” Annabeth hand Jane another cup. “Give this to Joker while your there.” Annabeth had gotten in the habit of bring Joker his morning coffee. With his condition, moving around was always hard but he seemed more clumsy in the morning and Annabeth didn't want to see him get hurt over his need for a caffeine fix.

Jane nods and leaves for the bridge. “Does she ever eat?” Garrus asks. Annabeth knew that Garrus was concerned but in the aspect of Jane's life, Annabeth was in charge. Not that Jane knew anyway.

“She will. Once she starts her reports I will make her breakfast. That’s the only way. It has to be something that she can eat while she works so most of the time its toast or a ration bar.” Annabeth says as she turns to him. “So, how are you feeling after the match?” She asks with a small smile playing at her lips. She had enjoyed the spar with Garrus. He was a good fighter and there had been a few times where he had surprised her but he still was taken down when she decided to change tactics. That was the real test to be the best, if your opponent changes how they attack can you adapt? Garrus did okay until she went for a more full body approach.

“Oh, I’m fine. Once I have brushed up on my skills a bit more we will have to do it again.” Garrus replies. Annabeth could tell that Garrus knew he had been sloppy and if he wanted another shot, why not. It was fun and good practice.

“Oh, sounds fun. It could become a monthly event or something.” Annabeth says with some excitement thinking of the possibilities.

“Definitely.” Garrus replied with a grin before leaving to get ready for the day.

\--

Over the next couple of hours Annabeth and Ash had managed to clean and look after everyone’s weapons and armor while everyone else went about their business. Annabeth was so involved in her work she almost missed Joker’s announcement that they would be entering Noveria in one hour.

“Annie.” Jane called from across the Cargo Bay.

“What?” She yelled back as she finished putting her pistol back together.

“Who do you think should come with us on Noveria?” Jane asked. Jane had always valued Annabeth's opinion in choosing who they brought along. They had a way of being able to see things from a different points of view from the other so generally, they were able to get a good balance if they came up with the teams together.

Annabeth thought for a moment, thinking on everyone’s skills and what would be best for where they were going. “I think Garrus and Liara. Noveria being as fucked up as it is I think we might be seen as more creditable if we have a Turian and Asari with us.” Annabeth had done some research on Noveria and knew that if they wanted any sort of credibility they should take the two Council race members that they had.

Annabeth could tell Jane was thinking on what she said and apparently saw some merit because she started to nod her head. “I can see your point. Bring Wrex or Tali would draw to much attention and to have four heavily armed humans would also do that. Yes, I’ll go tell Liara to suit up.” And with that she left.

Garrus walked over to start getting his gear ready when Annabeth turned to him. “Well, hopefully there isn’t too much that needs hacking since you and Jane are our only tech experts. I mean I know you two are good, but…” She trailed off. Knowing that he understood, if they ran into anything to tech savvy, they would regret not bring Tali.

“We’ll be fine. It’s not like you two are magnets for danger or anything.” Garrus deadpans. Annabeth laughed and shrugged her shoulders knowing that he knew trouble normally found them everywhere but she decided not to point that out and got geared up.

\--

“What a fun bunch. I think I’ll take my next leave here.” Joker stated sarcastically.

Annabeth snorts as Jane pushes his cap down over his face. “Shut up, Joker.” Jane says. Annabeth loved how Joker had somehow wessled his way into Jane's heart. Jane normally never dealt with the pilots on their previous stations so to find her bonding with him warmed Annabeth's heart.

“You know that I hate the cold, right?” Garrus chimes in as a shiver runs down his body.

“You know we are going to be inside, right?” Annabeth says giving Garrus a slight shove.

“Yes. But still…” He says as he visibly shivers again, “I hate the cold.”

Jane chuckles as she orders the group into the airlock. Once they were clear Jane, Garrus, Liara and Annabeth made their way to the entrance of the dock where they were greeted by some not so friendly guards. The head of the security seemed to be reasonable but the blond woman rubbed Annabeth the wrong way. She seemed to want to shoot first ask questions later even though that would end badly for them but in the end nothing came from the confrontation since their credentials came through allowing them to continue into the facility armed much to the dislike of the blond woman.

As soon as they got inside Annabeth grabbed Jane and pulled the group to the side out of earshot of everyone. “J… I have a bad feeling about this. That blond security woman, well, let’s just say that I don’t think she is on the up and up, I mean she looks like a shoot first kind of person. The other woman and Turian seemed fine but the blond… I think we should keep our eyes open. I mean, we are on Noveria. Corruption is the number one rule.” Annabeth could see Jane processing what she said and seemed to be thinking on how to continue.

Jane nodded her acknowledgement and Annabeth could tell the others felt similar. As they made their way up the stairs into the facility they were met by Gianna Parasini, the assistant to Administrator Anoleis. She apologized for their less then welcome greeting and offered to give them a brief orientation. Miss Parasini informed the group that Matriarch Benezia had pasted though and was believed to be up at Peak 15 research facility. When Jane asked about how to get to Peak 15, Miss Parasini informed them that they would need the Administrators clearance before they could leave.

Jane thanked Miss Parasini for the information and the group headed off to where they could have a quick conversation without being overheard. Liara had been shocked at the fact that her mother was indeed there. “I imagine you want to talk to me about my mother.” She stated.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Liara.” Annabeth said. If they didn't trust Liara, Jane and Annabeth wouldn't have brought her to begin with so to bring it up now seemed silly in her mind.

“Annie’s right. We trust you Liara. You have become a sister to us in this weird patch work family we have, so don’t worry.” Jane comforts. Annabeth was surprised to hear Jane refer to the team as a family. Jane always seemed to try and distance herself for her crew previously to their posting on the Normandy. She would befriend people, sure but she would never let them in to the same extent. Annabeth had noticed small things before that Jane wouldn't normally do and she wondered if it was because of having her own command or if Garrus being their had opened her heart to the others.

“Thank you, both of you. That means a great deal to me.” Liara replied softly.

“No problem.” Annabeth said as she gives Liara a ‘love tap’ on the shoulder. “Anyway, I don’t know about this Miss Parasini. I feel like she is hiding about something… I think we should be careful with her. I will need more time before I can read her right.” She said frustrated. She hated when she couldn't get a read on people.

“What, no instant connection? Losing your touch?” Garrus jests, clearly see her frustration.

Annabeth sticks her tongue out at him before turning and heading for the elevator, hearing the others chuckling behind her. Annabeth didn’t have to wait long until the other joined her in the elevator and make their way to the Administrator’s office. Jane had Garrus and Liara stay outside and get as much information they could out of Miss Parasini while Jane and Annabeth met with the Administrator. As soon as she met Administrator Anoleis, Annabeth had a distinct feeling of annoyance and dislike towards the man and he seemed to feel the same way towards them.

The conversation went no where so Jane and Annabeth left to see what Garrus and Liara were able to get from Miss Parasini. Before they left, however, Miss Parasini gave them a name of someone who could possibly help, a Mr. Lorik Qui’in. The group didn’t have any other leads so they decided to see if the information was good.

Lorik Qui’in was indeed, where Miss Parasini told them he would be. He seemed friendly enough and Annabeth could tell that this Turian had to be at least 20 if not 30 years older then Garrus. His plates weren’t quite as vibrant and some had cracking running along them, almost like human wrinkles. Jane approached the man and the group quickly found themselves on a mission for Lorik Qui’in that when successful he would give them the pass they needed to continue.

After fighting their way through Lorik Qui’in’s office to get the evidence needed to prove that the Administrator was corrupt, the group came face to face with the blond security officer form the docks. She gave a little speech about how they would die for killing the corrupt cops that had been ransacking the office but the team put a quick end to that.

“See. I told you I didn’t think she was on the up and up.” Annabeth said as they made their way to the elevator.

“Yeah, yeah you were right. Would you like a cookie? Now, let’s get this information to Qui’in.” Jane replies sounding a little exasperated as she hit the call button. Annabeth could tell that Jane had had enough of Noveria but sadly Annabeth could also tell that they were far from done here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want a hero cookie! ;) No but really who else hated that blond women from the moment she opened her mouth? Really she seemed to be a... pardon my french... cunt. Anyway we are getting off track. I hope you are liking the story so far and are enjoying the ride! :)


	52. Chapter 52 (Garrus)

Garrus was already tired of the cold. Every time he looked out a window a chill would run through his whole body causing him to feel very uncomfortable. Turians like heat, sun and warmth not this bitter cold with a wind that chilled you to the bone. No, Garrus didn’t like Noveria one bit but he could tell that everyone else in the ground team felt the same.

The fight through Lorik Qui’in’s didn’t help anyone’s mood except maybe Annabeth’s but she was one who could have fun doing anything. When the security woman from the docks had shown up to try and stop them Annabeth all but yelled ‘I told you’.

The ride down the elevator didn’t take long but once they exited they were confronted by none other then Miss Parasini. Miss Parasini asked about the noise complaints from the offices they had just come from and when Shepard replied it had something to do with the Administrator’s thugs, she did the strangest thing. She invited them to have a drink before talking to Qui’in. When she left, the group moved off to the side where they wouldn’t be over heard.

“Well, what do you think?” Shepard asked looking at Annabeth then Garrus. Garrus had to admit he was honoured that she cared and trusted his opinion as mush as Annabeth’s. This made Garrus feel like a more valued member of the team, knowing that she was asking as the Commander and not a woman asking her mate. Having been a detective he knew his instances were good but he couldn’t seem get a good read on her.

“I don’t know, Shepard. There is something different about her. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.” Garrus replied then turned to Annabeth, “What about you?”

“I know what you mean. It almost seems… it seams to me like she is hiding something but not from us… I don’t know… But I think the only thing we can do is see what she has to say. I think we should meet her for that drink.” Annabeth finishes. Garrus thinks about what she said and nods his head in agreement. Meeting with her would be the best option to figuring this out.

“Okay. Then let's go get a drink.” Shepard says as she straightens. “Umm… Has that Turian been staring the whole time?”

“Yes, I think so.” Liara replies as Annabeth and Garrus glance in the Turian’s direction.

“Right, well let’s see what that is about.” Shepard grumbles, marching towards the male.

Apparently, what that was about was information. The Turian, Lilihierax, Li for short, seemed to have a pretty good understanding on what was happening on the station. He was able to confirm that Benezia was up at Peak 15 and that the Administrator was more then likely corrupt. This was all information that they already knew but it was nice to have another source to confirm what they heard and felt.

Once they had finished with Li, the shore party headed back to the bar to find Miss Parasini and Qui’in. They walked into the bar a saw that Qui’in was sitting at the same spot as before. After a quick visual sweep of the room they found Miss Parasini off to the side so the group made their way over.

“Good you came. Allow me to reintroduce myself. Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs.” Miss Parasini said as they reached her table. Internal Affairs, what was an Internal Affairs officer doing here. Noveria was the heart of corruption so it was a surprise to find that it even had an Internal Affairs office.

“Well that makes sense.” Annabeth whispered only loud enough for Garrus to hear. Clearly it now made sense as to why they couldn't get a read on the woman, she must be a very good actress.

“Why is an Internal Affairs agent here?” Shepard asked not hearing what Annabeth had said.

Miss Parasini told them how The Executive Board knew that Anoleis was corrupt and that she had been undercover for the last six months trying to collect the evidence needed to prove that they were right. She then asked Jane to try and convince Qui’in to testify against Anoleis. Garrus wasn’t 100% convinced of Miss Parasini’s explanation and asked her about getting the records through her role as an assistant but apparently Anoleis was a smart man and kept everything she could find clean. She was desperate for Qui’in testimony and evidence. After Shepard and Annabeth had one of their silent discussions they apparently agreed that they would help Miss Parasini if she would get them a pass to leave for Peak 15 which she agreed to easily.

Qui’in stood no chance against Annabeth’s smooth ways of talking and only a couple of hours later the group was watching as Anoleis was being hauled away in cuffs. Miss Parasini held up her end and gave them access to the garage. The shore party had only been on the ground for four hours and had already left a mark on Noveria and they hadn’t even started their true quest for being there.

The group didn’t take much time before heading to the garage. They made a quick stop to resupply but other then that they were ready to head to Peak 15. Once they had shown the guard that they had authorization to be there they were on their way, or so they thought until a group of Geth attached. Garrus, Liara and Shepard all formed ranks around each other but Annabeth had a different idea. She ran across the field to hopped into a ground vehicle that looked like it was in the middle stages of being repaired and primed the weapons. The Geth didn’t stand a chance. Garrus had to commend Annabeth on her thinking but it had been reckless. Garrus was starting to wonder how Annabeth had lived for so long when this was how she behaved.

“What the hell did you do here, Commander?” Matsuo, head of security, demanded as she and her men raced into the room.

“Me? I’m the victim here! The Geth attacked us.” Shepard replied. Garrus could tell that Shepard was getting angry, they really needed to get away from the main facility before she lost her temper.

“Geth? You expect me to… Where did they come from?” Matsuo asked clearly out of her depth. 'Finally a reasonable question' Garrus thought as he checked his weapon.

“If I were a betting woman, I would say the Matriarch packed them in the ship containers she brought with her.” Annabeth said as she jumped down form the Mako.

Matsuo did not seem willing to accept that, thinking that their scanner would have picked up their weaponry or the emissions that they put out. Then she stopped and her face turned a paler shade. “If her containers were packed with these things there are a lot more out there!” Garrus looked up to see that the woman's heart rate had spiked dramatically.

“How many more?” Garrus asked dread seeping into his bones.

“At least a Hundred, depending on how tightly packed they were. I going to have to report this to the board.” Matsuo told them looking as if she swallowed a kuji.

“While you do that, we will take out as many of those Bastards as we can.” Annabeth said as she started towards the functional Mako. With that, Shepard nodded to her team and they headed out.

No one even bothered to try and take the drivers spot from Shepard this time. They had all given up hope that she would let anyone else drive. Annabeth took the launcher, Garrus the main gun and Liara went to watch the diagnostics. Today it was supposed to be Garrus’s turn for music but when they got into position they found that this Mako was an older model and didn’t have speakers that could be used for music and using their Omni-tools in this weather would drain the batteries so the group had to sit in silence as they drove. Eventually, Annabeth must have gotten fed up with the silence and started to sing. Garrus had never heard Annabeth sing before but was amazed at the beautiful voice she had. It was rich, warm and inviting even though he didn’t know the song and there was no background music to accompany her it sounded wonderful.

“I didn’t know you could sing, Beth.” Garrus said once she finished her song.

Looking down, clearly embarrassed she said, “Yeah, I can sing but I gave it up when I became a soldier. Not that I had to but I just don’t find it as fulfilling as my work, you know. I used to sing for Dad all the time. I think he misses it to be honest.” Garrus was amazed that she would hide such a beautiful voice. Annabeth was someone who didn't shy away from anything so to hear that she kept that voice hidden was shocking. It made him feel closer to her as well.

“Annie, you should sing more. You love to do it and everyone loves your voice.” Shepard says as she drives around a bend in the road. Clearly Shepard had heard her sing before because it seemed like this is a conversion they had had at least once or twice.

“I’ll think about.” She replies with a small smile and before she can say anything else she yells, “Incoming!” as a rocket comes in hot, just missing the Mako.

The rest of the drive to Peak 15 was a blur of fighting and swearing as they came across wave after wave of Geth that lined the road. Thankfully, they never had to get out of the Mako to service it since it would have been him that had to do that work and with the storm that was raging around them Garrus knew that it would not have been fun. Unfortunately, they did have to get out and enter the Peak 15 facility on foot due to a destroyed Mako that blocked access through the garage.

What was not surprising was the moment they entered the facility they were under fire but what did shock Garrus was the amount of Krogan that were with the Geth. Garrus heard Annabeth curse as she switched her pistol out for her shotgun, knowing that she would need the extra fire power. Shepard and Liara were trapped down in some cover across from Annabeth and himself. Shepard barked out an order for Garrus to hang back and snip targets as Liara launched them into the air. Garrus did as he was told and started picking off what ever Liara got into the air. He was so focused on his task he didn’t realize that Annabeth had moved farther away form him.

It wasn’t until Shepard yelled something that Garrus realized what Annabeth was about to do and as quickly as he could he switched his focus to the Krogan Annabeth had just biotically charged. He had to admit that every time she charged an enemy it was an impressive site and the fact that she had not only charged the Krogan but head butted him, almost caused Garrus to laugh. With two well placed shots from him and a couple form Annabeth’s shotgun the battle master fell. Shepard and Liara were taking on the last of the Geth when another two Krogan came charging out.

“Beth, Don’t!” Garrus said into the comm but he knew she wouldn’t listen. So instead of trying to stop her from what ever crazy plan she was about to do, he followed her movement as she charged one Krogan, knocking him off balance and then charged the other. Garrus set to work bringing down the fist Krogan while leaving Annabeth the second. It took four shots to put down the Krogan Garrus was working on and when he switched his focus to the other Annabeth had just threw her Krogan against a wall with a sickening crunching noise.

Everything was quiet after that and the team regrouped. “Annie, that was dumb!” Shepard said as she approached giving Annabeth a once over to make sure she was alright.

“Hey, it worked out quite well if I do say so myself. I think I’m going to have to work on incorporating that into an every fight kind of move. I have been trying to get that move down for years and I think I have finally perfected it. A little hard on my amp though so I will try not to do it too much. Oh, and thanks for the Assist.” Annabeth says as she punches Garrus in the shoulder.

“Yeah, well a little warning next time. If Shepard hadn’t yelled when she did you would not have come out of this fight so well.” Garrus growled in disapproval with a hint of amusement.

“Oh, you know me. I like to keep you on your toes.” Annabeth said around a mouthful of energy bar. Garrus had to chuckle at that, Annabeth would be the one to leave it up to faith that someone had her back.

“By the Goddess! You are crazy sometimes Annabeth.” Liara says after finishing her own energy bar.

Annabeth smiled at the group and replies, “I was raised by a Krogan. What do you expect?”

“Fair point.” Garrus said as the group formed ranks and started to push forward into the facility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuji - a sour fruit native to Palaven, similar to a lemon.
> 
> Just so everyone knows, Annabeth is going to have full skills like Jane. Don't worry though she's not just all of a sudden have skills, she will build them up or there will be an explanation as to why her biotics can do something she might not have been able to do before.


	53. Chapter 53 (Jane)

Jane had to admit that seeing Annie charge the Krogans the way she did was terrifying and really cool at the same time. Jane had been to busy with the last of the Geth to help but she had seen the move and was impressed. She would never tell Annie this since it would encourage her to do dumb stunts like that more often but Jane could tell that Annie already knew what she felt.

As the team pushed farther into the facility, the automated voice of a VI came over the speakers informing them that the VI interface was offline and that there was potently biohazardous material present throughout the facility. ‘Great’ Jane thought, ‘just what we need’. The team moved forwards hoping that they were heading in the right direction. When they passed though one of the hallways they saw turrets but they were facing the wrong direction for some reason or another.

“Well that’s odd.” Annie said as they passed through mirroring what Jane was thinking.

“They must want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out.” Liara replied as they made their way to the elevator. Well if that wasn't a menacing thought, Jane wasn't sure what was.

Once they exited the elevator they found themselves in another fight with more Geth. Jane was getting sick of Geth but was happy that there were no Krogan. It took only few minutes to deal with the Geth that where in the room and where about to move on when strange creatures started to climb out of the vents.

“What the fuck are those things?!” Annie yelled as they started gunning them down. Jane had to agree,  _What the fuck_ were these things!?

“No idea. But they seem to be poisonous as well.” Garrus said as he rolled out of the way of one of them.

The fight against them didn't take too long and once they were down, the group took a closer look at one of them. They all agreed that these creatures were hard bastards to take down and they definitely didn’t want to run into more of these things but knowing their luck there would be hundreds more.

After fighting a few more of the creatures, the team finally made it to the central control room to try and regain some of the facilities systems. First, they restarted the VI, then fixed the landlines and lastly restarted the main reactor all while fight though hoards of the creatures and Geth. When the group finally got to the tramway they were happy to have a few minutes to just rest and regroup.

\--

“Stand down. Sorry. We couldn’t be sure what was on the tram.” The man who was in charge said as the group approached. Jane could see that the man was on edge and he had good reason to be, the creatures seemed to be everywhere they turned.

“I’d only be upset if they had fired.” Jane replies, giving the man a once over. She could tell that the man was exhausted but determined.

“Even hopped up on stims, my people know the rule. Two legs good, four legs bad. Look your human, and that’s enough for me. But I would like to know who you are.” The man inquired.

“Commander Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. This is my team. Lieutenant-Commander Jackson, Alliance Military. Doctor Liara T’Soni and Office Garrus Vakarian.” Jane tells the man, pointing at each member as she goes. She could see that the man was impressed with the credentials of the people standing in front of him but also wary. She understood, if he was the head of security at a lab that was doing anything experiments that the Alliance or Council didn't like, having multiple high racking officers of their's here would not be a good thing. And since they were on Noveria it was quite probably that that was the case.

“Huh. Well I won’t look a heavily-armed horse in the mouth. The creatures overran the hot labs last week. Only Han Olar got out, and he ain’t all there anymore.” The man continued with his mission report about how the creatures overran the facility and how he was losing men and fast. Jane was able to get as much information as she could about the facility from the man before the group set about checking out the facility for themselves.

After talking to some of the people around the facility, Jane could tell that Annie was getting tense and after a quick look at Liara and Garrus she could see they looked no better. The situation was not a good one but Jane decided to pull the group to the side and have a quick chat. “Annie, what going on? You seem very tense.”

“I don’t know J… I feel as if we are heading into a trap. I don’t know… It seems that everyone here who was apart of the project are willing to risk everyone’s lives to cover up what was happening here.” Annie says as she shifts her weight uncomfortably.

Garrus and Liara both nod their heads in agreement. “Okay, so we keep our guard up. No trusting anyone and no turning our backs. Now I think we should go have a chat with the Doctor that the Captain mentioned.” Jane said as the group started to relax a bit now that they were on the same page.

\--

After visiting the ‘Doctor’ and getting attached by the meditating Asari with a group of Geth and talking to Han Olar about the Rachni, Jane was almost at her wit’s end. How could the Rachni still be a problem? Jane knew that if Wrex were here she might have felt some comfort and by the way Annie, Liara and Garrus where acting she knew she wasn’t the only one to feel that way.

The group was able to give the scientists the cure to their own bioweapon and eventually got the pass to a maintenance hatch. The maintenance hatch was one way into the hot labs but from what Annie and the others were saying before, Jane thought that it was time to see how committed the guards were to their post. The team found themselves fighting through Geth and heavily armed Humans on their way to Benezia and the Hot Labs. There was a voice in the back of Jane’s mind that was concerned that Liara would falter the moment that she laid eyes on her mother but there was nothing that she could do right now. Hopefully Liara would be okay and if not, well she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

The moment they walked into the Hot Labs Jane's heart dropped feeling that what was about to happen wasn't good. When Benezia started to talk to them she knew that that feeling had been right. “You don’t know the privilege of being a mother. There is a power in creation. To shape life. Turn it towards happiness or despair. Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren’s enemies.” She said as she looked at what must be the mother of the creatures that had infested the facility. Slowly, Benezia turned to look at the group. “I won’t be moved my sympathy. No matter who you bring into this confrontation.” Jane felt Liara shift beside her.

“Liara’s here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to.” Jane says, knowing full well that she was right. The voice from earlier had died the moment they had walked into the room. Liara was with them because she wanted to be and Jane could feel all of the power radiating off of Liara as she stood beside her.

“Indeed? What have you told them about me, Liara?” Benezia asked calmly. Barley a hint of caring in her voice as she looked down at her daughter.

“What could I say, mother? That you’re insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?” Liara sobs out. Jane could feel the pain that washed over Liara as she talked to her mother. It was unfair to her to have to face her own mother but Liara was standing her ground.

“Have you ever faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have.” Benezia continues as if her daughter hadn’t even spoken.

“You would kill your own daughter. Bitch!” Annie said taking a step forward and Jane couldn't help but agree. Who would treat their own daughter in such a disrespectful way and then kill her!

“I now realize I should have been stricter with her.” Benezia replies getting into a fighting stance.

That’s when all hell broke loose. There was wave after wave of Geth and commando’s that threw themselves at the team. At one point Jane even let Annie loose to charge as many enemies as she could well Jane and Garrus picked off the stunned victims before they could recover. Liara was left to combat anyone who came to close, using her Biotics to immobilize them before gunning them down. The fight didn’t last nearly as long as Jane had expected and the team was finally left to face Benezia by herself. She created Liara with the fight not lasting long, she had a fire behind her eyes that wasn't normally their.

“This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with light. Everything is clear.” Benezia says as they approach her. When Jane heard this she paused for half a beat. What did she mean filled with light? Was this what the Shiala had been talking about?

“The Rachni didn’t cooperate with you. Why should I?” Jane asks, curious to see what the woman would say. Shiala seemed to be free of the control when they had talked so talking to someone still within the grasps of Saren was an opportunity that Jane couldn't pass up even if it was a bit cruel.

“I will not betray him. You will… You… You must listen.” Benezia replies but Jane noticed how Benezia’s demeanor had changed. She seemed to be begging them to listen versus demanding it, causing Jane to shift. “Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions. Briefly. But the indoctrination is strong.”

“Why are you able to break free now? Seems kind of convenient.” Annie says putting words to Jane’ s thoughts. If Annie didn’t trust Benezia there was no way in hell that Jane would.

“I sealed a part of my mind away form the indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long.” Benezia told them. Jane knew that Benezia was strong but was that really possible? Jane looked at Annie and then Liara for a brief moment before replying. “We met Shiala on Feros. She told us about Sovereign’s indoctrination.”

“It is a terror to be trapped in your mind. To beat upon the glass as your hands torture and murder. I was powerless; nothing but a tool for Saren." Jane could hear the pain in her voice, she couldn't imagine doing things against her will, being forced to kill. It was unimaginable. "He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago.”

Jane was wondering how one could possibly loose a Rely but that information didn’t really matter at this time. So instead she asked, “Someone on Noveria found the Relay?” She was confused as to how someone would know that information. Even Asari didn't live that long so how would anyone here know.

“Two thousand years ago, the Rachni inhabited that region of our galaxy. They discovered the Relay. The Rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the location of the relay from the queen’s mind. I was not gentle.” She continued to explain how the Rachni knew of the location of the relay and how Saren planned to use the relay to find the Conduit. Benezia looked almost defeated, but in the end gave she Jane the location of the relay as well.

“Knowing the Relay’s coordinates is not enough. Do you know where he planned to go from there?” Liara asked her mother sounding broken. Jane was concerned for her friend but right now she couldn't do anything about it. She was Commander Shepard, not Liara's friend at the moment.

“No, Saren wouldn’t tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived. You have to stop… me. I can’t… His teeth are at my ear. Fingers on my spine. You should… Uh, you should…” Jane could see that Benezia was fighting to stay in control of her mind but she could tell that she was loosing.

“Mother! I… Don’t leave! Fight him!” Liara begs. Jane saw Annie grab Liara around the waist to stop her from rushing to her mother's side.

“You’ve always made me proud, Liara.” Benezia says looking back at her daughter. Jane’s heart was breaking for Liara because she knew that this would not end in a happy reunion. At that moment, it was like Benezia hit a switch and Jane could see she was back under the spell that trapped her. “Die!” Benezia yelled.

Before anyone could react, more commandos were pouring into the room. Annie and Garrus took up the fight with them while Jane focused on Benezia. When Benezia got the jump on Jane, putting her in stasis, Liara didn’t hesitate and put three bullets into Benezia’s gut.

The fight lasted only moments but felt like much longer. Benezia was fatally injured and even as Jane tried to administer Medi-gel Benezia refused knowing there was nothing to be done. Jane could hear Liara behind her and knew that Annie had moved to comfort her.

Garrus stepped closer to Benezia to confirm that she was dead then moved to Jane. “There was nothing you could have done.” Garrus told her trying to reassure her. Jane didn’t feel the same but she nods letting him know that she will be alright.

Jane turns to face others, “I am so sorry, Liara.” Liara is shaking in Annie’s arms but looked up at Jane with determination in her eyes. “It’s what had to be done… She… She wasn’t my mother anymore.” Was all she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was crazy!!! I know we all knew it was coming but your heart has to hurt a bit for Liara. I mean she not only had to watch her mother die but she helped kill her! So sad, so sad.


	54. Chapter 54 (Annabeth)

“Okay, I just want to make sure I’m not going crazy but did we just fight our way through this facility, get attacked by Saren’s minions, fight Benezia, agree to release the last of the Rachni Queen’s and then purged the facility?” Annabeth asks. She was trying to wrap her head around the whole situation but it seemed impossible.

“Yes. I believe we did.” Liara says, sitting beside her on the tram back to the main facility.

“Oh… I was kind of hoping I was crazy.” Annabeth replies, throwing an arm over Liara’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about your mother.” Annabeth couldn't imagine what was going through Liara's mind right now. 

All of the fight that was still in Liara melted away as she crumpled into Annabeth’s embrace. “I have been trying to prepare myself for her death since I talked to Shiala on Feros. But I can’t believe that she is gone.” Annabeth hugged her close not knowing what else to do.

“I know… It will take time but I speak for myself and I am sure the rest of the crew, when I say we are here for you. We are family and you are not alone.” Annabeth tells her trying not to show how much see her in pain bothered her. Annabeth knew that if Liara thought she was causing pain to someone else she would hide her feelings so Annabeth had to be careful not to get to emotional.

“That’s right.” Jane says, sitting down on Liara’s other side. “You don’t have to go through this alone.” Annabeth shared a quick look with her sister before focusing back on Liara.

Liara looked up at both of them with tear filled eyes. “Yes. Thank you. I… well, thank you.” She then places her head-on Annabeth’s shoulder, allowing Annabeth to hug her even closer.

Annabeth decided that that was a sign to switch topics and let Liara be in her own mind for a few moments. “J… I think you should let me tell Dad about the Rachni. I don’t know how he will take it and I don’t want anyone in the way if he goes into a rage.” Annabeth says looking at her sister.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about that… I hope we made the right choice.” Jane said looking at her hands. Annabeth hope so to; she had agreed that letting the Rachni go was the right call. It didn't feel right to kill the Queen after the conversation they had, she seemed to want what was best for her people and she knew that war was not what was best.

“I’m sure you did Shepard. I may have suggested the acid but the Rachni deserve a second chance if they really were… what did she say… poisoned by the yellow note? To me, it sounds something similar to indoctrinated and if that’s the case…” Garrus said trailing off. Annabeth couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine at that implication.

“Yeah, well I guess now we just wait and see.” Jane said and as she stood she went form Jane to Commander Shepard, ready to lead her crew. It was rare when she would let herself drop the Commander mask on mission but after what had happened, it wasn't a surprise she wanted to be there for her friend.

\--

“You, WHAT!? The Rachni! What were you thinking, Bug! You can’t possibly believe that letting that thing go was a good idea.” Wrex said, clearly trying to keep form ripping the room apart. Annabeth had known that the reaction would be something like this so she was glad she had cleared the Cargo bay people just encase he decided he needed to hit someone or something.

“Dad, calm down and let me explain.” Annabeth grabbed Wrex by the arm and sat him down. “It seems as if the Rachni War might have been a bit more complicated then originally thought. From what we have found out, it seems that the Rachni might have been indoctrinated. If that is true, then the war wasn’t their fault.” Annabeth hoped that he was listening and hadn't started to fall into a blood rage.

Wrex was still looking murderous so while he thought about what she said Annabeth started to sing an old song that she had heard a long time ago that she found soothing, something called ‘Blackbird’. Slowly she saw the tension leaving him, it normally did the moment she started singing. She knew it had been years since she had sung to him and she knew that him missed it. She sang the whole song for him as he sat and listened with his eyes closed.

“Bug, that was beautiful. But I’m still not sure that releasing the Rachni was a good idea.” Wrex finally said once she was done singing. Annabeth was relieved to see that he had calmed down and was talking to her in a reasonable manner.

“I know Dad. J and I share your doubts but to wipe out a whole species seems extreme since there is so much we don’t know.” Annabeth says as she rubs the top of Wrex’s head causing him to relax even more. Most don’t know of the hidden trick to cause a Krogan to turn form a Killer beast to a kitten. If you rub the top of there heads in just the right spot they become putty in your hands. It was not anything that would be considered sexual but it was something that represented trust.

“Alright. There is nothing we can do now so let’s get to the debriefing.” Wrex says standing trying to regain his menacing composer. He wouldn’t want anyone thinking of him as soft.

The debriefing was, well… brief. There was a bit of discussion on what to do next but all agreed that there wasn’t much they could do unless they found more information. Jane dismissed the group after informing them they would be making their way back to the Citadel to restock and have some shore leave since no one wanted to stay on Noveria. Everyone was relieved to have some shore leave but after what had happened no one really felt to excited at the moment.

Annabeth asked Liara if she would like some company but Liara told her she wanted some time to herself. Annabeth could understand that. When she first started living with Wrex, she needed time by herself to cope with everything she had been through and thankfully, he had understood that.

After a quick shower, Annabeth made her way down to the Cargo Bay to, one check up on Wrex and two to do her job and clean weapons and armor. What Annabeth wasn’t expecting was to find everyone from the ground team, excluding Liara and adding Joker, already down their waiting for her.

“What?” Annabeth asked as she moved towards the group. Once Annabeth had been sure that the Normandy was going to be housing a lot of people, she had taken it upon herself to make an area of the Cargo bay a place where people could sit, relax and hang out. Jane stood form her spot beside Garrus and grabbed Annabeth to make her sit and join them.

“Annie… There is no easy way to say this but we are all worried about you. Liara would have liked to be here but after what happened today she decided it would be better for everyone one if she wasn’t.” Jane said not really meeting Annabeth’s eyes. Annabeth had know idea what was happening, why would they be worried about her? Liara was the one who lost her mother not her.

“Worried about me? Why?” She asked Jane and when she hesitated she turned to Garrus. “Garrus?” Annabeth could hear a low rumble coming not only from Garrus but Wrex as well. 'Well that doesn't help ease my doubts' Annabeth thought.

“Beth, we are all worried because since the attack you have been acting differently.” Ash said, clearly trying to help Jane with her words.

“Yes. Ash and I have noticed that you toss and turn in your sleep and wake up in a panic more then you did before.” Kaidan comes to Ash’s aid.

“And when you are in the armory you hum and sing under your breath. You never did that before.” Ash continues.

“And after singing in the Mako. Something you have never done before... and Wrex tells me you sang to him before the debrief. Something you haven’t done in years. We… well, we just want to make sure your okay.” Jane finishes finally looking her in the eye.

Annabeth was shocked. She didn’t realize that her demeanor had changed so much since the attack. Yes, the attack had shaken her but really, it wasn’t as bad as everyone was thinking. Yes, she was having troubles sleeping but that always happened around this time of year. In three days, it would be the 13th anniversary of the attack on Mindoir and that always brought everything to the forefront of her mind. The singing, however, was news to her. When she was younger, she sang as a coping mechanism so maybe that was that was happening. With the anniversary of her worst day of her life colliding with the attack on her maybe she was having a bit of a harder time then normal.

“Look guys, I appreciate this. I do but I’m fine. If my singing is that bad I can stop" she joked trying to lighten the mood a bit "and the nightmares are always bad at this time of year. Yes, I was attacked and it is making my nightmares a little more… well… you know… vivid.” Annabeth paused to think of what else to say. “And so you all know I sing after every mission, in the shower mostly but it’s not a new thing.”

Annabeth looked into everyone’s eyes one by one, trying to get the point across that she was fine before she settled back on Jane. “Okay Annie… I believe you. But what do you mean this time of…” The thought died on her lips as her eyes got wide. “Is it already June?” Annabeth nods her head and Jane lets out a long sigh. “I see… well I guess that covers everything.” Annabeth wasn't surprised that Jane didn't know what time of year it was. With the stress of the mission, Annabeth was surprised Jane still knew her name.

“What does it being June have to do with anything?” Tali asks, clearly confused. 'Oh no' Annabeth thought, 'this is not a good train of thought to follow.'

“Wasn’t the attack on Mindoir in June.” Ash says as more of a statement then a question. 'Shiiit!!' Annabeth's mind was racing.

“Yes.” Jane says quietly clearly not liking the path that this had taken.

“But… Umm not meaning to pry but why does that matter to Annabeth. She wasn’t from Mindoir.” Kaidan replies, clearly trying to figure it out. Annabeth was on the verge of panic now, they couldn't tell everyone on the ship. That was a sure fire way to have Alliance Command find out and then she, Jane and Anderson would be screwed!

“It doesn’t matter.” Garrus tells them, trying to stop the train of thought that Kaidan was on. “Either way, if you say your fine Annabeth, we will leave you be.” Thank the Gods above, Annabeth loved that Turian!

“I agree. You seem fine to me Bug.” Wrex said, which was clearly his way of ending the conversation because at that he got up and went to his area of the Cargo Bay to work on something or another. Tali still seemed confused but could probably tell she wasn’t going to get anymore answers so she excused herself to go back to work. Ash was still eyeing up Annabeth and Jane but didn’t say anything more before she and Kaidan excused themselves. Before leaving Joker patted Annabeth on the arm and told her that he knew she was fine and the others were just over reacting but Annabeth could see the concern behind his eyes.

“Thanks, Garrus. That was getting close.” Annabeth whispered, once everyone was out of ear shot.

“Anytime.” Garrus replies, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! That was too close for comfort! What was Jane thinking, not checking a calendar before that conversation! It would have saved them that awkward moment. Oh and Blackbird is a song by the Beatles for those who don't know, like the people living under rocks! ;)


	55. Chapter 55 (Jane)

Jane sat on the floor at the foot of her bed as Garrus ran a hairbrush through her hair. Since he had all but moved into her cabin this was one thing that Jane let Garrus do for her, knowing he secretly loved to do it. The first time he had seen her with her hair down after mission was a humorous event. He had been fascinated with the movement of her hair and when she had started to brush it Garrus was hypnotized by the action. After showing him how to do it, he took it upon himself to make this one of the things he could do for her and she wasn’t going to argue. One of the best feelings in life was having one’s hair brushed but someone else. Jane had been sitting there humming contently with her eyes closed for several minutes when she heard a knock at her cabin door.

“Come in.” She sighed as Garrus moved form behind her. She was disappointed but knew that he didn't want to be caught doing something so silly.

“Garrus, out. Today is a day for me, J and a bottle or two of whiskey.” Annie said stepping into the room as the door swooshed closed behind her.

Garrus seemed confused and was looking between Jane and Annabeth as if he didn’t know if he should follow that order. Technically, Annie was one of Garrus’s Commanding officers but he clearly didn’t know if that was Lieutenant-Commander Jackson asking or his best friend. Jane decided she better help him out before he hurt himself.

“She’s right Garrus. Today is a day we spend together to remember and morn. Pressley has the deck and Kaidan is in charge of the ground team for the day if anything comes up.” Jane said as she got up form the floor and gave Garrus a quick kiss before pushing him towards the door.

“Alright, I’ll go. But you two let me know if you need anything.” He finally says reluctantly. When the door closed, Jane turned to Annie and they both moved to the bed, knowing that they would rather be comfortable then anything else.

Ever year was the same. They would start by talking about the colony itself, reminding each other of the fields and what the town looked like and all the hidden places they found to get away form the adults. Then, after a few drinks, it would move to friends and neighbors. After a few more the conversation would switch to their home and their parents, Hanna and John. They would tell stories, laugh and cry and only leaving the cabin to use the washroom or for Annie to grab the junk food she had somehow sunk on board. By the end of the night they would stare at the one holograms that Jane had managed to somehow have of four Shepard’s, smiling up at the camera. Hanna with her red hair, green eyes and freckles; Jane was a spitting image of her mother. John with his dark chocolate brown hair, blue eyes and biggest smile; If Annie dyed her hair and changed her eyes form hazel to blue she would be the female version of their father.

Jane thinks that this is why people didn’t see the family resemblance between them. If their parents were to have been there it would have been obvious but without that connecting link, not many would be able to point it out. Wrex and Anderson always said they looked alike but Jane had a feeling that was because they knew they were related and not because they actually looked alike. The photo was one of Jane and Annie’s prized possessions. They both had a copy but they had agreed that they would never hang it in their apartment just in case someone connected the dots.

By the time Garrus returned that night, they had finished one bottle and were nursing the last of the second. With Annie’s biotics, she could drink almost double what Jane could handle but by the time Garrus got to the bed he knew there was no way he could convince either of them to move so he just climbed in and went to sleep with Jane and Annie both cuddled up beside him.

\--

The next morning was killer. Jane woke to the sound of Annie’s alarm going off and in attempts to turn it off she not only pushed Annie out of bed but went crashing down with her. Both women groaned loudly as Jane rolled off Annie and the latter turned off her alarm. Jane was just about to say something when she registered the sound of deep, throaty laughter coming from the bed. When she looked up she saw Garrus looking down at them. “Had a good night, I see.”

Jane sent him a glare that would have caused most people to run away but seemed to only cause him to laugh harder. “Shut up, Vakarian.” Annie groaned. “Your voice is too loud and I haven’t had coffee.” Jane couldn't help but agree. How dare he be so loud when he didn't come bearing coffee.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Should I grab you some?” Garrus offered, clearly amused. Jane wanted to slap that look right off his smug face but didn't have the energy at the moment to do so, maybe after coffee.

“Yes.” Both women said as they slowly got into a seated position. Garrus got up still laughing as he headed out the door.

“I hate him.” Annie said before pushing herself back onto the bed.

“Yeah… me too.” Jane agreed as she stood, deciding that it was time to start the day and if coffee was coming then she could find the effort to change.

\--

The Normandy spent the next two weeks making its way back to the Citadel and on its way the crew found themselves doing more Alliance missions as they went. At one point, they came across what seemed like a ship adrift but when they boarded they found themselves in the position of having to take a man off of life support and in doing so had to deal with the man’s wife who had gone completely nuts. Thankfully, Kaidan was able to knock her out before any real damage was done to her and they were able to call in a transport to take her someplace to get the help she needed.

After that the crew was asked to find a downed information drone that had Alliance intel on it before the Geth could acquire it. That mission would have been easy if it weren’t for the local wild life. Jane had taken Kaidan, Ash and Tali on that mission giving Annie, Wrex and Garrus some down time. Annie had been helping Liara through this time and if it wasn’t a critical mission Jane could take Kaidan in her place. The only difference being was that Kaidan was predictable viruses Annie’s crazy but it was nice to have a chance to really work with the other members of the team without them having to lookout for Annie’s crazy. Kaidan wasn’t as powerful of a biotic either but he was disciplined in his art. Once they had received the information drone, the group drove around in the Mako to check on other anomalies that the Normandy’s VI had picked up. When they got to one area it looked like some sort of Prothean ruin, Jane approached it and she noticed that there was a slot that was in the shape of the piece the Consort had given her. The moment Jane inserted the missing piece, a vision washed over her of what looked like earth form along time ago, then everything went black.

\--

Jane woke up to the glow of the Normandy Med-bay. “What the...?” All Jane could think is, 'what happened this time.'

“Commander, how are you feeling?” Chakwas asked from beside the bed.

“Um… fine. What happened?” Jane asked confused. The last thing she remembered was finding the Prothean ruins and the vision then nothing. ‘The vision.’ Jane thought, of course, probably knocked her out like last time.

“You fainted after messing with more Prothean shit.” Came Annie’s partially amused partially annoyed voice.

Jane snorted, “Well I didn’t think that I would pass out from touching it. I did see some sort of vision again though. One that looked like Earth thousands of years ago. Nothing helpful.” Jane was annoyed herself from the vision. She wanted something that would help with the Reapers not what their human ancestors were doing.

Annie studied her for a few moments before replying. “Does that mean the Protheans were watching us? Because that sounds kinda creepy.” Jane laughed at that. She hadn’t really thought about that aspect but yes, that seems to be what she saw.

“Well, Commander. It seems that you suffered the same effects that you had with the beacon. Medically there is nothing wrong so you’re free to go.” Chakwas said after scribbling down some notes. Jane wondered what the notes would say, 'fainted due to too much Prothean contact' or would she just negate it since it didn't seem to impact her other then fainting on initial contact.

Jane nodded her thanks to the Doctor and left the Med-bay with Annie. After a brief conversation, Annie informed Jane that she had already talked to Admiral Hackett about the down probe and that Liara, Wrex, Kaidan and Ash had gone back down to the planet for Liara to have a closer look at the Prothean ruin.

“How is Liara?” Jane asked, she was concerned for the young Asari but she seemed to be handling things well. Jane knew that if she wasn't Annie would have a better read on the situation.

“Oh, not to bad. I think she was prepared for it to end the way it did. Whenever it’s brought up she just says she would rather remember her the way she was before Saren got his mitts on her. She’s tough, she will make it through.” Annie told her.

Jane thought on the information for a moment then nodded in agreement. She knew that Liara went in knowing that she might have to say good-bye to her mother but Jane couldn’t help but be worried for her. Jane and Annie had come to find over the course of the last several months that the ground crew was family to them so it was hard to see any of them was in pain.

“How soon until they are back on board?” Jane wanted to keep moving. She was looking forward to some down time on the Citadel to just relax with her crew while she debated their next move.

“Well, they went back down right after you were brought on board and I gave them four hours’ planet side so they should be back within the hour. Now, go find Garrus. He has been losing his mind since you were brought on board. Even more than me.” Annie winked as she walked away.

Jane laughed and shook her head as she went to look for Garrus knowing full well that he would be a hand full because she had gotten off so ease with Annie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drinking and remembering the past, seems like the way Annabeth would cope with the situation and no doubt that Jane would agree when it came to Mindior. And Jane really needs to stop touching Prothean things, I mean really! ;)


	56. Chapter 56 (Annabeth)

“Annie, we’re going to go have a talk with Nassana Dantius before we take leave.” Jane says as they dock at the Citadel. Annabeth inwardly groans at the news. She didn't want to be there for this confrontation. The bitch had set them up but she knew that complaining would get her anywhere so she agreed.

“Okay, hopefully it doesn’t take to long. I invited Chellick and Bailey over for supper if you and Garrus want to join.” Annabeth replies as she collects her things.

“Oh, that sounds fun. Garrus is coming with us to see Dantius, we can ask him on our way. And Annie?” Jane pauses until Annabeth looks up from her packing. “Yeah?” She asks tilting her head in slight confusion. “Behave when we talk to Dantius. I would hate to have to get you out of custody for beating up a diplomat.” Jane says with a smirk.

Annabeth laughs, “I’ll try and behave but no promises.”

\--

“Shepard, did you manage to find my sister?” Miss Dantius asked, keeping up the act that she started weeks ago. Annabeth had to admit the woman was a good actress, no wonder she was in politics.

“Your sister is dead and we know she was black mailing you.” Jane responses, in a cold voice. Oh, Annabeth liked this approach, it was hard and to the point. Fun!

“So, the truth comes out. I hope you’re not angry. Surely you can understand why I lied to you. If people found out that my sister was a criminal, I would be considered a security risk. They would revoke my clearance or place me on administrative leave until she was apprehended. That’s why I miss lead you. I couldn’t risk you exposing me. But now she is out of the picture, it is no longer a problem.” Dantius says in a cool, unfeeling voice. Annabeth saw her logic but it showed just how self-centered the woman was.

“Your sister was a slaver, she deserved what she got but still, she was your sister. The fact that you are taking her death so lightly speaks volumes of how little you care for other peoples lives.” Annabeth says with disgust. Annabeth could never be that cruel to Jane, yeah she had pissed Annabeth off sometimes but the worst they had ever done to each other was hide the chocolate during that time of year. Thank god doctors came up with a way to make it once a year instead of monthly. That would be hell!

“She was a criminal that got what she deserved, so no, I will not morn her.” Dantius replies, clearly not liking what Annabeth had said. “I have some money set aside to pay you for your time.”

Annabeth was furious with the Asari. How could she be so heartless but before Annabeth could do anything, Jane told the woman to go to hell then quickly guided Annabeth away. They were still within ear shot of Dantius when Annabeth asked Jane if she could punch the Asari but Jane just kept pushing her away, not wanting to cause a scene.

Once they were far enough away from Dantius, Jane released her. “Come on J. She would deserve it.” Annabeth said as they walked to the skycab.

“Yes, she would but she is still a diplomat. You can’t just go around punching them.” Jane replies. Annabeth didn't really care about getting away with it but she might have a point.

“If you could, I would have punched plenty of them during my time at C-Sec.” Garrus says with a chuckle. Annabeth wouldn't put it past Garrus to punch a diplomat and just the thought of it caused her to burst out laughing. "Of, course you would have." Annabeth replies trying to regain her composer. Once she can breath properly again she turns to her sister, “I know you have a few things you still need to do J, so I’m going to steal Garrus so he can help me find some good food for this evening.” Annabeth planned on spoiling the two males so show her thanks and to do that she needed to know exactly what to buy.

“All right. I have about an hours worth of running around to do so I will meet you back at the apartment.” Jane said as she walked away form them. Annabeth ushered Garrus into an awaiting cab taking the drivers seat before realizing she had no idea where to go, so she turned to Garrus and asked, “Where is the best place to by Dextro food around here?”

\--

Annabeth was busy in the kitchen trying to prepare food for everyone when the door chimed informing them that Bailey and Chellick had arrived. Jane answered the door and soon the group was sitting around the kitchen island having drinks while Annabeth worked. Annabeth loved to cook and was happy to have someone to cook for. She had even gotten into reading recipes for Dextro food so even though she couldn't name half of what she was cooking for Garrus and Chellick she knew that it should taste good.

“It smells amazing in here, Jackson. What are you making?” Bailey asks as he moved farther into the kitchen. Now, Annabeth loved to cook but she hated when people got in her way and right now, Bailey was about to get in her way.

“Oh, you are in for a treat. I am making a beef wellington with a truffle mash and red wine jus, for us Levos. And for our Dextro friends, I have sayon meat with some other meat and veggies I can’t remember the names of but was told that they are the best there is.” Annabeth replied as she shooed Bailey back out of the kitchen.

“Damn, Jackson! That must have cost you and arm and a leg to get all that.” Bailey exclaimed.

“I haven’t had sayon in years because of how much it costs!” Chellick said, clearly shocked. Thankfully, Annabeth had her back to them so they couldn't see the blush that spread across her cheeks.

“Well this is Annie we are talking about. Trust me, she doesn’t cheap out on food, ever.” Jane says as she pours a drink for Annabeth.

“What can I say. I like good food.” Annabeth shrugged as she took the glass that was offered to her.

\--

“Annie this was amazing.” Jane said as Annabeth started to gather everyone’s plates. Everyone else added their agreement which caused Annabeth to blush. She loved to cook and was good at it, yes, but to receive complements for it was still a little uncomfortable. “Thanks, I’m glad you all liked it.” Was all she could say.

“Hell, if you cook like this all the time I don’t understand how you to aren’t fat.” Bailey says as he leans back, rubbing his stomach for emphasis. Annabeth and Jane both laugh, “Well it does help that we are rarely on shore leave and that we are wearing armor 90% of the time.” Jane says as she pours another glass of wine.

“Yeah and don’t forget that I am a biotic. I need a lot of food.” Annabeth says as she loads the dishwasher. That was the main reason she was a good cook. With the amount of food she ate it better taste good.

“I guess… but I can’t imagine how you afford it all. I mean this supper had to cost at least 500 credits and that’s not including the booze.” Bailey said, eyeing Annabeth. Annabeth wasn't going to come out and say how much the meal had cost but it wasn't cheap that was for sure. Normally she wouldn't have splurged this much but it was a special occasion.

“What? I can’t help it. It may have cost a lot but I like to spoil people who do me a favour, like say for example, take care of a sensitive matter involving an attack on an Alliance officer and keeping it under the radar.” Annabeth says looking back and forth between Bailey and Chellick. “Besides, with J and I sharing the apartment expenses are low. All I have to pay for is food, clothes, weapons and armor. I mean really, I have so much money saved up that this one evening won’t be a blip on the radar.” Annabeth had a small fortune saved up and she invested quite well so to splurge every now and then didn't seem so bad. 

“The Alliance must pay better then the Hierarchy. When I was in the military I was broke.” Chellick says as he takes another swig of wine.

Annabeth laughs, “No, its not that. With Dad being as good of a merc as he is, he used to take me on jobs when I was younger. Anything I found I got to keep. Before I even joined the military, I had a small fortune and had no expenses. Then once I started Basic I had no need to spend my money. I just spend my money when on leave which was not a lot of time. And I am a pretty savvy investor.” Annabeth explains.

“Wrex took you on jobs?” Garrus asked a little surprised.

“Yeah. Not the big ones but ones that would help with my training and with Dad being Krogan I had to carry some of my weight. I mean, how do you think I got so good with my pistol?” Annabeth had to ask because, really, he had met Wrex. What did he expect?

“Um… I would have thought the Alliance would have helped you with that. I would have thought Wrex taught you to use your shotgun.” Garrus said with a slight chuckle.

Annabeth scoffed at that, “No, my instructors used to get frustrated with me during training because I would use my pistol instead of a rifle or shotgun. I mean, I am a good shot with a shotgun and rifle as well but a pistol just feels better to me. My instructors couldn't get to mad though since my scores were always high and I already had some practical experience behind me." Annabeth explain but now that Garrus mentioned it she could probably stop and pick up a few things while here. "Specking of my shotgun, I do need to buy so mods for it while here. If we have to deal with more Krogan, having my shotgun as up to snuff as my pistol will be essential.”

“Wrex will be glad to hear that.” Jane laughed as she poured another glass of wine for them both. Jane had just set the bottle down when her Omni-tool went off.

“Well it looks like we are heading to do some combat training after shore leave. Hackett’s orders.” Jane said with a sigh. Annabeth knew that Jane wanted to get back out on the hunt for Saren but they were slowly running out of leads. They needed some new information but right now it was going to be a lot of system hopping, hoping that they could catch a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I would add a feel good chapter to the story, I didn't want things to be to serous!


	57. Chapter 57 (Chellick)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why not have a little Chellick PoV?

“Thanks again for supper, Jackson. I haven’t had that good of a meal in ages.” Chellick says as he and Bailey get ready to leave. Chellick had been surprised when he got the invitation to come over for dinner. He thought that he would never hear from Shepard or Jackson again if he was being honest but this had been a pleasant surprise. Not only was it a kindness to invite him but also a very good meal, probably the best meal he had had since his last visit to Palaven.

“No problem, it was the least I could do. You two helped me out big time.” Jackson replies, a smile lighting up her face.

“We were just doing our jobs, Jackson. Now, what about my jacket?” Bailey asks, eyeing her up. Chellick didn't understand why Bailey was looking at the woman like a suspect.

“Oh, shoot.” Jackson says trying and failing to look innocent. “I took it out to be cleaned. I’ll bring it to you when I get it back.” Well that answers that question, sort of, Chellick thought.

Bailey grunts and shakes his head as both Shepard and Vakarian chuckle behind Jackson. Chellick trills in confusion and gets an amused trill back form Vakarian informing him on the missing information. Before Chellick can voice anything to the others, Jackson and Shepard are giving their farewells. Once Bailey and Chellick are in the elevator heading down, Chellick decides he has to ask. “Why won’t Jackson give you back your jacket?” He was really confused by this and it was going to bother him until he had an answer.

Bailey chuckles and shakes his head, “It’s a human female thing. If you give a human female any article of clothing of yours they tend to keep it. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will probably will never get the jacket back but I can still ask about it.”

Chellick thought on this information but was still very confused. “I still don’t think I understand.”

Bailey laughs, “I don’t know. You would have to ask her or any other human woman about it. I don’t pretend to know what is going on in their minds.”

Chellick decided that he would let the matter drop. It didn’t make sense to him. Jackson seemed to have stolen Bailey’s jacket but he seemed not to care. It must be a human thing, he surmised. Once they exit the elevator they said their goodnights and head in separate directions. Before he could go home, Chellick needed to check in with one of his informants.

\--

Jenna is getting close. From the information she provided last night Chellick was sure that he would get his man soon. He just needed a little more Intel. He hated that he was using the woman. She was in constant danger and could easily pay for her work with her life, but Chellick needed her. She wasn’t the only option he had but it was the best option. Chellick felt like an ass but still, this was what needed to be done.

Chellick was just walking into Chora’s Den when he noticed two human women talking with Jenna and assumed that they were just customers until he noticed the fiery red hair of the one and the honey voice of the other.

“Shit!” Chellick said under his breath. He was going to have to intercept them at some point.

He got that chance as they went to leave. He very visibly, and ‘drunkenly’, bumped into Jackson and whispered for them to meet at his office. He was glad that Jackson was smart and a quick thinker, pushing him away and telling him to go to hell then left with Shepard. He was impressed that the woman was able to pull it off so flawlessly. He was able to sneak up to the bar after without anyone thinking something was wrong. Chellick had a quick chat with Jenna and then left the bar himself, knowing that Jackson and Shepard would be waiting for him at C-Sec.

\--

“She’s just a server not an undercover cop! She has no training and doesn’t understand the risk. Can she even fight if she had to?” Jackson ranted. Chellick could see that the woman was fuming and was glad that he knew her or he would have been nervous at the look she was giving him.

“No she does not, not that I am aware anyway.” Chellick replied honestly. “I know that it may seem cold, letting Jenna take all the risk but we are keeping a close eye on her.” Chellick hated handing out that line, mostly because he to had doubts on whether or not he could keep her safe.

“Do you really need to risk her life to get the information you need?” Shepard asked, clearly trying to stop another outburst from Jackson.

“This job isn’t easy and is usually unpleasant. I’ll take help were ever I can get it.” Chellick sighed and continued, “I have an idea. Since you are so concerned with Jenna’s safety maybe there is a way for you to help.” Chellick knew that this was an asshole move but he really could use the help and if Jackson and Shepard agreed it would be better then using an untrained citizen.

“What is it you want from us?” Jackson asked. Chellick could see that Jackson was upset with him but could tell that she wanted to help.

“I’m trying to track down an illegal arms producer. I just need some of their product. Thanks to Jenna’s Intel, I’ve learned there’s a seller here on the Citadel. Meet our man, Jax, pick up the mods and bring them back here. That’ll give me everything I need.” Chellick explained. He could feel the not in his stomach as he asked for their help. After supper the night before he felt like he could be friends with these two humans but now, he might be burning that bridge as humans say.

“Mods? What’s so concerning about these mods?” Jackson asked with clear interest. From the conversions that they had had the night before, Chellick new that Jackson was obsessed with having the best mods possible for herself and the rest of the crew.

Chellick chuckled a little before replying, “We have access to some of the most sophisticated weaponry there is here at C-Sec. It’s what gives us out edge. What do you suppose happens when we lose that edge? These give criminals an advantage we can’t afford to let them keep.” He had actually begun to get concerned about this aspect as of late. More and more illegal mods were out their and C-Sec higher ups were starting to breath down his neck. They wanted an arrest and Chellick was the one who was under pressure.

Jackson and Shepard seemed to be contemplating this as they shared a look. Vakarian had said something about how these two women seemed to be able communicate by just looking at each other but seeing if himself was strange. “Alright, Chellick. We will help you if you get Jenna out of Chora’s Den.” Jackson finally says after a few moments.

The tension that had built in his body seemed to relax now that he had their agreement. “Excellent! This should be a walk in the park for you two after all the stuff you have been through.” Chellick replied.

“Don’t get too excited. Things tend to go wrong around us when we go on mission. I will message Garrus and Wrex to join you Annie, since everyone can now recognize my face.” Shepard said, turning form Chellick to Jackson. He never really thought about that but now that Shepard said it out loud it made sense. Her face was everywhere still, even now a few months later her face would still appear in advertisements talking about how the hero of the Blitz was now the first Human Spectre.

“Yes. That will make sense," Jackson says cutting into Chellick's thoughts, "having a Turian and Krogan with me. Make it seem a bit more realistic then a lone human woman or even two human women.” Jackson agrees. “We will see you soon, Chellick.” She says and the two take their leave.

It wasn’t even an hour later when Shepard, Jackson, Vakarian and the Krogan returned to give Chellick the mods.

“Excellent. This is everything I need. Hmm… maybe more then I need. Thank you. You didn’t need to do any of this but I appreciate the help.” Chellick told them, happy to finally have this case almost closed.

“You helped us Chellick, it was the least we could do.” Jackson replied with a smile. Chellick could tell then that he hadn't screwed up to bad with Jackson. “I’m guessing you’ve gotten Jenna out of Chora’s Den?” She asked.

Chellick nodded his head, “Yes, she is safely out of Chora’s Den. Now I need to get these mods into evidence. I’ll see you around I'm sure.” Chellick walked them out and then headed to the evidence locker, happy that this was one more case off his plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So good or bad idea to have a Chellick PoV? I thought it would be fun but I'm not so sure... Oh well, to late now ;)


	58. Chapter 58 (Jane)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay between posts. I was away for work and didn't have time to post. I hope it was worth the wait.

_‘Umm.. Commander. You might want to come up here. The Normandy's picking up some strange readings’_ Jokers voice came in over the comm. Jane and Annie share a quick look before both are on their feet and heading to the bridge.

 _‘Sensors reveal three fusion torches propelling Asteroid X57. At its current rate of acceleration, the asteroid will collide with Tarra Nova in approximately four hours. Analysis. Torches must be disabled to cease the acceleration.’_ The Normandy’s VI was saying as they reached Joker.

“What the hell?” Annie said as she looked out the window to see what was happening. 'What the Hell, indeed' Jane thought.

“I have an incoming distress call. Patching it through.” Joker says as his hands fly across the controls.

‘ _Hello? Hello? I heard your transmission. Can you hear me? They haven’t found me yet but I can’t talk long. Please. Shut down the fusion torches or we’re all going to die. God, I hope you’re hearing this._ ’ The call ends.

Before the transmission was even done Jane and Annie were already running to the Cargo Bay; once their Jane barked an order for Garrus and Wrex to suit up. It didn’t take long before the Mako was on the surface of the Asteroid and heading to the first bunker to try and turn off the torches. The moment they entered the bunker Jane sees exactly what has happened.

“Batarians!” Annie growls as she and Garrus dart for cover on one side and Wrex and Jane on the other. The team took no time in sweeping the building killing all that stood in their way. When they found the console that shutdown the torch, the woman who sent out the distress call comes over the console. _‘I’m reading that the torch is offline. Was that you? Can you hear me?’_ Jane was happy to hear the woman's voice, if Batarians were involved that generally meant a high head count.

“Who are you? What’s going on?” Jane asks. She could feel others shift behind her, she could tell they didn't like the fact that they were standing still. They were sitting ducks where they were and Jane couldn't help but also be on edge. The woman, Kate, explained the situation as best she could. Apparently, they were moving the Asteroid to Tarra Nova to mine it when they were attacked by Batarian extremists. She was about to say more when she had to cut the transmission.

“Well, I guess we keep pushing forward.” Jane said as she turned back to the others. She could see that they were relieved to be leaving, they had spent to much time where they were and with only three and an half hours until impact, they had a tight deadline.

As they were leaving the building, Jane was shot. Thankfully, her barriers were still up so it didn’t cause any damage and the shot came from a human who look completely scared out of his mind. He apologized and explained the situation, clearly unaware that they already knew what was happening. He informed them that one of the facilities had proximity mines placed all around it so they would have to approach on foot. He also told them how it would be impossible for Tarra Nova to be evacuated before the asteroid made contact. Their only hope was to stop it. 'Great' Jane thought bitterly, 'another thing that only we can do.'

It didn’t take the team long before they were at the second facility. They made their way on foot to the building where they were able to find the controls to turn off the mines surrounding the facility, then fought their way through more Batarians and drones on their way to the control panel for the next torch. Garrus had just deactivated it when Kate's voice came in over the console again.

 _‘Are you there? You have got to hurry. You’ve really pissed them off. Their leader’s setting charges everywhere. I think he is going to blow the whole facility.’_ Kate was abruptly cut off when a distinctly batarian voice came over the console yelling _‘Get away from there!’_ and the comm went silent. Jane's felt as if the floor dropped from under her. She didn't know Kate but she had been trying to help and had been doing admirably well considering she was a civilian. 

“We better hurry.” Was the only thing Jane could say as the group raced back to the Mako.

Getting to the next facility didn’t take long. They took out the defense canons quickly and again moved thought the facility, shooting all in their path. Jane could hear Wrex enjoying himself and could see that Garrus was letting Annie do her thing while providing cover fire. While Jane was busy studying her team, she didn’t notice a varren that was sneaking up beside her. Thankfully, Garrus had and killed it with a clean headshot between its eyes before it could pounce on her.

 _‘Watch your six, Shepard!’_ Garrus growled over the comm. Jane had been surprised that the varren got the jump on her but she was able to quickly recover.

“Why? When I have you?” Jane said in reply, slightly amused which was met with growl of annoyance.

_‘Yes I do, but I can’t watch your six and Annabeth’s at the same time.’_

_‘Awe come on Garrus. I thought you were better than that. I thought you were supposed to be good’_ Annie jested. Jane had to bit down on her tough not to laugh at that comment. She knew that would just agitate the Big Guy even more.

 _‘I’m better than good! I’m great, but you’re crazy!’_ Garrus replied. Jane did laugh at that.

 _‘He has a point, Bug. I didn’t teach you to go charging into danger like that.’_ Wrex said, clearly out of breath.

 _‘What? You’re kidding, right? That is exactly what you taught me. Lead by example, Dad.’_ Annie laughed as she charged the last Batarian. Once the last bastard was done Jane chuckled while Wrex grunted in reply to Annie's jest. Garrus, who was still apparently a little miffed about the whole situation walked ahead of the group to the last console. Once the last touch was turned off the team headed back to the lower level of the facility only to be confronted by another group of Batarians.

Jane was in the process of lifting her gun when one of them spoke. “This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed.” The Batarian in the middle said, clearly the leader. They approached the group warily and when they got approximately 15 feet away he spoke again. “Don’t come any closer. We could do this the hard way… or we could do this peacefully.” Jane was amazed that the Batarian would even give an option. From the Jane's experience with Batarians she had never been given the option. The Batarians that she had met outside of the Hegemony seemed okay but any that still dealt with their government were generally cold blooded killers who hated Humanity with a passion. Those were generally the ones that liked to get in Jane's path because it was just her luck.

“I didn’t think you Batarians knew the meaning of the word.” Jane replied, coolly. She felt that the Batarian in front of her didn't really want to be there and her feel was confirmed almost immediately when he continued to speak. “Look, I’m just doing my job here. Hijacking this rock wasn’t my idea. I signed on to make a little profit. A quick slave grab. Nothing more.” Jane had to admit that she didn't like that much more but a quick slave grab vs killing millions, well... if it were up to her, she would choose the slave grab.

“This isn’t just a slave grab anymore. Millions of people are going to die.” Jane replied with an even colder voice than before.

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m just following orders here. If it were up to me, we’d have already left.” He said and Jane could tell he meant it, which surprised her. She decided that maybe this could end without several more bodies so she thought she would give him an out. “Well, it’s not too late. You could still leave.” Jane wanted to defuse the situation, she didn’t want to fight and waste ammo on people who didn’t seem to want to be there.

“I don’t think so. Balak would skin me alive and sell my hide out of spite, Crazy bastard. This whole mission’s gone to hell and I’m gonna pay for it.” He replied. Jane apparently was as intimidating as this Balak guy and was now a little pissed off. People were generally intimidated by her and it seemed to stop a lot of conflicts before they even started.

“Why follow him? Why listen?” Annie asked in a surprisingly calm tone. Jane was actually shocked that Annie would even consider talking to him right now. When ever on missions that dealt with Batarians she normally hung back and followed Jane's lead because she didn't trust herself not to do something stupid.

“Good question. I had a bad feeling about this from the moment we landed. Now Balak wants you dead. And what Balak wants, Balak gets. I can’t change that.” He sounded almost... defeated? Or maybe it was more tired. 

“Yes but… Balak isn’t here. If you get us out of here, we will take care of Balak and then you will be in charge. You could give the orders.” Annie said. Jane looked over at her, more to confirm she wasn’t hearing things. Annie's face was a mask of calm that only appeared when she was in full Alliance mode, which wasn't often. Normally she showed her emotion but Jane had a feeling that was because she was the second in command. Jane wondered, not for the first time, what Annie would have become if she and Jane had never been reunited.

“Ah, uh, interesting proposal. It certainly has benefits over the current situation. Shut it down. This is Balak’s problem now. I hope you’re as quick with a gun as you are promises, for both our sakes.” Jane's face was calm and composed but on the inside her jaw was on the floor. Did Annie just talk this male into standing down and letting them go? Well, I guess their is a first for everything.

“Balak will get what’s coming to him. And so we are clear, if I ever catch you in human territory again he won’t be the only one. Understood?” Jane asks. She needed to boost herself back into the moment. If she showed her surprise the situation could change very quickly and not for the better.

"Yes." he confirms before continuing, "Balak’s holed up in the main facility; you will need this to get in. Don’t underestimate him, he’s a mean bastard." He handed Jane the ID card that they need while giving his warning and then he turned and started to head out. Before he could leave, Annie called out to him and went and had a quick chat. Jane was nervous, she wasn’t sure what Annie was doing and was worried that this may come to a fight now anyway. But the worry was for nothing, the Batarian seemed to shake his head and gesture a few times but Annie didn’t seem worried, more disheartened. Jane was going to have to ask about that once they were done their mission.

\--

“You Humans, you’re almost more trouble than you’re worth.” Balak said, or who Jane thinks is Balak. Jane had to admit that for a Batarian, Balak was impressive. He was definitely of bigger build then most and he seemed to have his glare down to a tee. If Jane was a lesser person she might have taken a step back.

“You do see the Turian and Krogan right?” Annie deadpans. Jane had to stop herself from breaking eye contact with Balak to smack Annie upside the head. Goating the male would not help the situation.

Before Balak could reply Jane took a step forward. “Let the hostages go and maybe you’ll live long enough to explain yourself to the Council.” Jane thought that after talking with the other Batarian this tactic might work.

“I don’t answer to the Council! Or to you. I’m leaving this asteroid. If you try to stop me, I’ll detonate these charges and your helper and her friends are all going to die.” Balak says with triumph behind his eyes. 'Or not,' Jane thinks. This male in front of her clearly is more thickheaded then the the other so it's no surprise that he seems to think he has all but won.

“I can’t just let you go Balak. Not after what happened here.” Jane tells him. She couldn't let him leave but she also couldn't let the hostages die either. Jane thought that the best thing to do was to play it off as if she was willing to let the hostages die, to be ruthless.

“This is nothing! You humans have done far worse to the Batarians. We’ve been forced into exile. Forced to survive on what we can scrounge up. It’s been like that for decades.” Balak spat.

Jane knew some of the history of the Batarians and she knew that that the Batarians got the short end of the straw but what Balak was doing wasn't the right way to go about it. If he got away with this it would put an even bigger dark mark on the Batarians, one that wouldn't be ease to overcome. She thought the best thing she could do for now was to keep him talking. “Why take it out on these people? They didn’t do anything to you or the Batarians.”

“Didn’t do anything? Aside from colonizing a world that could have been ours? Aside from using resources that should have been ours? We were left to defend ourselves. But the humans were stronger than us. We knew that, the Council knew that! But it didn’t matter. It was you! You and your kind are the only reason we’re in this position.” Balak was yelling now. 'Well that escalated quickly,' Jane thought.

“How does killing innocent people make up for that?” Annie yelled back. 'Oh shit!' if Annie gets to riled up this could get very ugly very quickly.

“We had no other options. Sometimes you need to get someone’s attention before they’ll listen. That’s why we attacked you on Elysium. That’s why I’m doing this. You forced our hand!” Jane could see the logic of getting attention but this would have the wrong effect on the galactic community. This would do the opposite of what they wanted.

“What!? You attacked us first! When we retaliated, you ran off to the Council hoping for help. When you didn’t get it, you hid. You’ve got no one to blame but yourselves.” Annie said while staring daggers at him. This was about to enter dangerous territory now but all Jane could do was watch. She was trapped watching the two go back and forth, helpless to stop.

“Enough! You couldn’t possibly understand… Actually, you just don’t want to understand. And I’m done wasting my breath. Now, if you want your friends to live, I suggest you step aside.” Balak told them staring straight back at Annie.

“Fuck.” Was all Annie said as she gave Jane a small signal letting Jane know that she would follow her lead. That seemed to snap Jane out of whatever spell she had been under. “You can go but this isn’t over. I’ll find you eventually.” Jane threatened. She couldn't just let him walk away scot free but she had no choice. The only thing she could do was threaten retaliation for what had happened here.

“Maybe, but I made sure you wouldn’t follow me today. Those charges are still on a timer. Better hurry if you want to save your friends.” And with that, Balak was walking away.

“Fuck, Garrus left!” Annie said as the team broke up to find the charges. Annie and Garrus went one way while Wrex and Jane went another. This was turning out to be one really shitty day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope I did this mission justice!! It was hard to write because of Annabeth and her damned emotions! Maybe if she didn't repress so much she wouldn't have been so emotional!!


	59. Chapter 59 (Annabeth)

‘Well that sucked.’ Annabeth thought as group started to strip out of their gear. Yes, they had managed to save Tarra Nova and the hostages but that bastard, Balak, had gotten away. Annabeth felt bad for the Batarians, she did but what Balak was doing was just wrong. Annabeth also felt bad because they had promised the other Batarian, Char, that they would take care of Balak but they didn’t and he was more than likely to pay the price of letting him go.

While Annabeth was mulling over this information she could feel the eyes of the others on her. She knew that they were going to want to know if she was okay. Whenever slavery or Batarians were involved in a mission, there was always the same conversation, the same questions. Are you alright? Do you need to talk? How are you feeling? Annabeth knew they meant well but those questions agitated her more then the situation so before they could ask Annabeth knew she had to talk first.

“Okay, I know your going to ask so I’ll save you time. Yes, I am fine. No, I don’t need to talk about it and I would appreciate if you would respect that. Now, is there anything else you would like to know before I go eat and shower?” Annabeth asked as she turned to face them.

Annabeth could see that she a shocked them a little by talking first but both Garrus and Wrex shook their heads, clearly happy with her answers. Jane, however, was not. “What did you talk to that Batarian about? The one we let leave.”

Annabeth wasn’t surprised that the question came up. She knew that Jane would want to know and she had no problem with telling her. “I asked him if he was at Mindoir and when he said no I asked if he knew who was. He didn’t so then I asked him to reconsider the whole slave thing. He said he would but I think he was just trying to get rid of me.”

That, apparently, was even more of a shock since Jane and Garrus stood there with mouths open staring at her in disbelief and Wrex was glaring at her, in a loving sort of confused way. It took several minutes before anyone could speak and when they did it wasn’t what she was expecting.

“Why did you want to know if he was on Mindoir?” Jane asked quietly.

Annabeth hadn’t really wanted to have this conversation, not now anyway. She was tired and hungry and just wanted a shower. She wanted to meditate on what happened and figure this out on her own, not have 20 questions thrown at her. But she knew that Jane deserved an answer, so did Wrex and Garrus but she didn’t know what to say.

“Umm… I don’t know… I went to talk to him to try and discourage collecting slaves and it just happened. I…” She trailed off not knowing what else she could tell them.

Annabeth could hear Garrus’ low soothing rumble and was thankful. He seemed to understand that she needed to think this through. That’s why Garrus had become her befriend, he could read her easier then Jane or Em ever could. Even Wrex, who used to be able to read her face and know what she was thinking but over the years, after all the training and fighting it seems that even he had trouble distancing himself to see that she need space right now. Ever since the attack it has been nearly impossible to get a minute alone and it was driving her crazy but it seemed Garrus could sense that and she was thankful.

“Hey, why don’t we give Annabeth some space? It looks like she could use some time to herself, yeah?” Garrus said out loud, mostly for Jane’s benefit since Wrex could clearly hear and understand Garrus’ sub-vocals.

“Yeah… sure.” Jane said as she looked back and forth between Garrus and Annabeth.

Annabeth gave Garrus a look of gratitude that that he acknowledged with a dip of his head as he led Jane away. Wrex gave a soft soothing rumble, letting her know that he was concerned but she just gave him a weak smile and walked off to grab food then have a nice long shower.

\--

‘Why did I ask about Mindoir?’ Annabeth thought as she sat down to meditate. She had never once thought to ask any Batarian about it before so why now? Was it because he had admitted to going to that rock to collect slaves? It must be. Annabeth has talked to Batarians on the Citadel before, ones that were not criminals and were trying to earn an honest living and never asked. She had even talked with ones that she had to take into custody and never asked. The only explanation would be that he had brought it up slavery. But still, why? Why did she want to know?

This is what Annabeth spent the next hour meditating on. She sat in her bunk, still and quiet and didn’t notice that the others were looking at her with concern. Annabeth normally only meditated for a half an hour generally when deployed, mostly to make sleep easier but she had never meditated this long in front of other troops. She also normally didn’t use her Biotics when in the crew quarters either but tonight she needed them, she needed the extra focus. Annabeth was so absorbed she hadn’t even realized she had been sitting there that long. That’s the nice thing about mediation, time seems to not exist.

When she finally came out of her meditation it was to find Ash sitting on the foot of her bed. “Oh… Hello.” Annabeth said a bit startled.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to scary you. I was just coming to see if you were okay? You haven’t moved in almost an hour.” She said with concern written all over her face. Annabeth paused for a moment, 'an hour' well that explains the look.

Annabeth laughed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Hell, if I was at home I would have probably stayed in mediation longer but since we are on a schedule I need to get sleep at some point.” It was truthful, if she had been at home she would have stayed like that for probably another hour or so sifting through her thoughts.

“You mean to say that you mediate for hours when on shore leave?” Ash asked shocked.

Again, Annabeth laughed. “Well, no. It depends if I feel the need. Sometimes I need more time than others. It’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t also meditate. I find it’s a nice way to clear my head before sleep but also helps me think things through… Take the attack for example. I woke up the next morning and meditated for 3 hours straight and if J hadn’t started to make lunch I would have stayed like that for a good long while.” Probably the whole day, Annabeth thought but didn't say it allowed. No need to open that conversation back up.

“Oh, well I guess that makes sense. I guess when I have trouble with things I generally take apart and clean guns so… I can’t really judge.” Ash says with a chuckle.

“Exactly, cleaning guns is your meditation, I use my biotics while I meditate.” Annabeth stated amused. “J throws herself into work, Garrus calibrates, Liara does sciencey things, Tali messes with engineering things, Kaidan has his Biotic training and Dad is well… dad.” She finished.

Ash full on laughs at that, “I never realized it but yeah, we all have our own meditation I guess.” Annabeth nods, seeing it for the first time that they all had their own coping mechanize one way or another.

“For sure, now I don’t know about you but I think it is time for some shut eye. See you in the morning.” Annabeth says giving Ash a gentle boot from her bed.

\--

“Stay Back! I’ve got no grief with you. All I want is this Bastard!” The man said. There was something about the man in front of her that Annabeth recognized but she wasn’t sure what or why. Annabeth was generally pretty good at remembering people but she was drawing a blank when it came to trying to place this man.

“Please, he’s a madman!” The man at gunpoint shouts at them. “Mr. Toombs, you’re insane! You need help!”

“It’s Corporal! Corporal Toombs! You don’t get to lie! Not today! Today it all comes out!” Toombs yells.

It couldn't be, could it? “Toombs!?” Annabeth gasps. She knew that name, that man form years ago but what was he doing here! He was one of the dead from Akuze, the unit she was supposed to be on before getting transferred to be under Anderson’s command so many years ago.

Toombs turned his head to look at her but it was Ash who talked first. “Jackson, you know this man.” The use of Jackson was a clear indicator of how tense the room was. Annabeth had barley registered it until then. “I… Yeah. I was on the 322 for a while. I was transferred before we were to leave for Akuze to Anderson’s command but I was on that unit for maybe a month before. I didn’t really get to know everyone but… I was supposed to be there.” Annabeth said trying to collect her thoughts. When the news of Akuze found her, Annabeth had been in shock, she couldn't believe that everyone in her old unit had been wiped out. She had mourned for the losses and counted her blessings for having been transferred but she had always felt a pang of guilt whenever Akuze was mentioned.

“Jackson... Yes, I remember you. The N4… you were supposed to be commanding Officer before being transferred.” Toombs said as if trying to remember correctly. Annabeth remembered back to the month she was with the 322. She was just getting to know her teams skills when she had been pulled away. From what she remembered everyone in that unit came with high recommendations and they were supposed to be a good team but something came up and Alliance had her transferred before she could see what they could do.

“Yes, that was me. I remember hearing about the attack. If I had known you had survived… What happened? Put the gun down, we’re listening.” Annabeth soothed. She didn't want this to end in someone getting shot. She could tell that Toombs wasn't only see them but also stuck in some past trauma. Annabeth knew about reliving part of your past and could tell that he was having difficulty sorting through what was real and what was imaginings.

“You don’t understand, I don’t want to kill anyone. I… I want to go to sleep without screaming in my dreams. I want the people who sent me to Akuze brought to justice!” Toombs said as he focused back on the scientist in front of him. Annabeth knew all about recurring nightmares from her past and she knew that shooting him would be a true disservice to the man he once was.

“Can’t you see that Toombs is crazy? Shoot him!” The scientist demanded.

Annabeth almost laughed at the man. He had no authority to give demands and right now and giving Toombs the chance to talk seemed to be working. Annabeth’s team was ready and she knew it. She could feel Kaidan’s biotics building, ready to throw up a barrier to protect the scientist. Knew Ash had her weapon trained on Toombs but would wait until it was clear that negotiations weren’t going to work and she could see Tail had her Omni-tool ready to short out the man’s weapons. Annabeth knew her team well and they wouldn’t act unless ordered or the situation called for it. Jane had left her in charge of this mission and she was not going to let anyone die on her watch.

“But if I can’t get that,” Toombs continued without missing a step. “I’ll have to settle for killing the men who took my life away.” Annabeth knew that something had to have happened to the man since he hadn't been heard from since Akuze several years ago.

“What did the doctor do to you, Corporal?” Annabeth asked. She could see that Toombs was starting to trust her but he still had his weapon trained on the doctor so she needed to keep him talking.

“We were on Akuze when the thresher maws hit. My entire unit was wiped out. The thresher maws… The scientists were studying them. They let them hit out unit, just to watch! I woke up in a holding cell. The scientists were delighted I’d survived. Now they had someone to run test on.” Toombs told her. She instantly pissed with whoever gave that order. How could someone do something so disgusting to another living being! Annabeth didn’t want to know but she had to ask, “What kind of tests?”

The scientist was clearly upset that Annabeth was giving Toombs the benefit of the doubt and basically admit that he was at some sort of fault when he yelled at them. “You can’t believe Toombs! He doesn’t have any proof! I demand a fair trial!”

Annabeth snorts at him but Toombs continues. “Ever had thresher maw acid in your veins? I have. They wanted to see what it would do. They treated me like a lab animal. I only escaped because someone destroyed Cerberus, their big organization. This is justice. This man deserves to die. So, are you going to kill me or not?” They had put thresher maw acid in his veins! Annabeth was livid. She had been hit with maw acid before and it wasn't a good feeling but to have it injected into your veins! That was insane! But to let Toombs kill the man wouldn't be good either. Did the man deserve it, probably but he also deserved a chance to prove himself in court. They were not gods, they didn't get to be judge, jury and executioner.

“You better then this, Toombs. You’re not like them.” Annabeth said with the most commanding and reassuring voice she had. The Toombs that she had known all those years ago was better than this and it was her job to remind him of that.

“Don’t tell me who I am! You got away with a few scratches and a scary reputation! The rest of the unit died, and I was tortured for years, Jackson. Don’t judge me, you don’t have the right.” Toombs spat at her.

Annabeth had to admit she was a little taken aback at the venom in his words but then she had been through something similar. How would she feel if someone was to judge her on her actions? “Toombs, if I could have helped you on Akuze, I would have. I can’t change what happened, all I can do is help now. Let me.”

Annabeth could see him thinking, weighing her words. Finally, after a few more tense moments he lowered his gun. “Okay, I’m no murderer. They couldn’t make me one. Just as long as he goes to trial. Maybe the screaming will stop now. I don’t know.”

Annabeth let out a sigh of relief as she stepped forward to take the gun from Toombs. “Those assholes can’t hurt you any more. We got you.” Annabeth said as Kaidan moved in to take the scientist into custody and Ash radioed the Normandy. This was another long day and Annabeth couldn’t help but feel guilty, not because of what had happened but because hearing what Toombs went through made her feel better about her situation. Annabeth felt terrible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well one way to feel better about your life is to hear how shitty someone else's is. Or watching reality TV but my hope is that reality TV died a long time before humanity started to expand into the galaxy!!


	60. Chapter 60 (Jane)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for how long it took for me to get this chapter out! I had decided I needed to edit a few things in some previous chapters and that lead to me going through every chapter and adding small pieces of information that should have been their from the start. If you were go back and read now I think you would find some of the updates necessary and I hope that you like them!!

_‘ETA to Pinnacle Station is 15 hours.’_ Jokers voice says over the comm.

Jane was in the Cargo Bay with the rest of the ground team relaxing in the sitting area that Annie had set up. When Annie had first set it up, Jane wasn’t so sure it would be needed to be honest but since it had been set up, there was always someone sitting there on their down time. It was a nice place to sit and chat other then the comm room which always seemed so formal.

“So, Beth. When we were talking with Toombs he mentioned that you were N4 at the time. How did that work? You would have been young if you weren’t with Anderson yet.” Kaidan asked. Jane smiled at that, this conversation was one that always happened when people found out how old she was when she gone through N-training.

“Yeah, well I kinda had a head start in my military career thanks to growing up with a Merc for a Dad. I got through Basic on the accelerated program with Em, or as you guys know her, Lieutenant Hendricks. Anyways, I was done Basic within six months and was sent into the field where I proved my skills. After about four months in the field I was transferred to N-training. It was hard work but I loved it so when N1 came to an end I asked to start N2 right away instead of taking the three months off which is what they normally do.” Annie was telling them. Jane knew that Annie had fast tracked her career but it still always amazed her at how fast she got through everything.

“Wait, hold up. Being in N-training just out of Basic! How old were you when you started N-training?” Ash asked, shocked. ‘Here we go,’ Jane thought with a smile and shake of her head.

“18. I won’t lie, I am the youngest recruit to ever go through N-training but with my biotics and exemplary hand to hand skills they took a risk. People also tended to listen to my command even though I was so young. But anyway, by the time I was 19 I had my N2. Command forced me to take a break after that, saying that if I continued train like that there would be health repercussions due to the demand on my body. After the break, I did my N3 and N4 back to back so by the age of 20 I was a full-fledged N4.” Annie told them. Jane could see everyone’s expressions and they were too good, the shock was almost too funny. Even Garrus looked shocked. The only one who didn’t bat an eye was Wrex because he was there when it happened.

“So, your telling me that by the age of 20 you were an N4? A rank that even the Turian military respects as being a tough son of a bitch. I mean… wow.” Garrus said before turning to Jane. “How long did it take you to reach N4?” Jane always got this question. People always assumed that she was the youngest to N7 but that simply wasn’t true, Jane just happened to be in Command more so people generally didn’t dig too far into her team. Annie held the privilege of being the youngest N7 to ever complete training.

“I had just turned 22 when I go my N4. Annie was just starting N3 when I finished N4. When she joined me under Anderson’s command I was going for my N6 and she her N5. We alternated when we were in training so that we had one of us in control of the ground team. Whatever ground team we were put in charge of didn’t question us either, they knew we earned the right to lead.” Jane said, answering some of the other unasked questions.

“I may not have the best knowledge on the situation but isn’t being an N7 rare? And we have two on our ship. How?” Tali asked. She seemed to be trying to wrap her head around the idea that she had to of humanities best as part of her team.

“Actually, I think Anderson and Hackett have stepped in on our behalf a few times, telling the brass not to split us up. We work to well together and in all honesty if they have anything that’s really sketchy they contact us because they know they have two of the best to take a look. I’m not trying to be cocky it’s just the truth. And as for how rare… I think the statistics say that for every 100,000 Alliance Soldiers there is one N7. Or something close… I can’t remember exactly.” Annie finishes to a still slightly stunned group. The same reaction every time, Jane thinks as she looks around the room.

 _‘Damn I knew you two were badass but seriously, Badass.’_ Joker’s voice says over the comms making everyone jump a bit. Clearly no one knew he was still listening. Everyone broke into laugher as the surprise of Joker’s ‘God’ voice had worn off and the reality hit them that of course he was still listening.

After the laugher died down the group started asking Annie and Jane questions about their N-training and what it all entailed. Tali and Liara wondered as to how and why people were chosen for training while Garrus, Kaidan and Ash were more curious about the missions and training requirements. Even though Kaidan and Ash were Alliance not many knew what the training involves other than hard work and a good reputation since it is so hard to achieve and most missions were classified. They talked until the end of shift about this and that before they all broke off to go to bed. They all knew that Pinnacle Station was a training facility, but it was a training facility with a good reputation and Jane was interested in see how much more she could mix up the teams in a safe environment.

\--

“Apparently, the guards have little faith in us humans.” Annie said loud enough that the guards that had been throwing out comments could hear. Garrus and Wrex both were glaring and growling at the guards while the team walked past them. The guards, clearly embarrassed that they had been over heard or scared because of the looks that Wrex and Garrus were giving them, straighten their backs and avoided eye contact.

“That’s fine. We will show them why we are the best ground team there is. Right, Beth?” Ash said bumping her shoulder. Annie and the others laughed and joked while Jane went and talked with Admiral Ahern to get a rundown of the facility.

It was very easy for Jane to see why people went there to train, it was the Armax Arsenal Arena but on steroids. The combat was impressive; the Tech Officer, however, was a douche. After talking with the Tech Officer, Jane decided that the best way to figure out the simulator and what it could offer was for Jane and Annie to enter first, just the two of them to figure out what was what.

After finishing their run, which involved a lot of trash talk between the sisters, Jane and Annie where heading back to the main area to go for their next run when they came across a human and Turian arguing. Annie being Annie, she wanted to figure out what was wrong.

“Bryant says he scored highest in missions form multiple combat modes. No human’s ever done that. He clearly cheated.” Captain Vidinous was telling them. Clearly that’s the only explanation, Jane thought, why was it that so many people were xenophobic? Really it had been years since the First Contact War and Turians still like to bring up that humans were soft and couldn’t possibly have beaten the Turians if the war had continued.

“Why does that mean he cheated? Humans are capable in fights. We defiantly could score highest in multiple missions. It’s kinda why we are here.” Annie says not even batting an eye at the rude remarks. Everyone else from the Normandy had made their way over and were now listening to the exchange.

“Really, I doubt that. Tell you what: if you can beat my record, Bryant won’t spend the rest of the competition in the stockade. Hell, you come close and I’ll give you one of my weapons.” Vidinous says. Jane internally groaned, she came here to train her people not be a part of some stupid competition but Vidinous just did the one thing that would guarantee that they would. He issued not only a challenge but placed a bet and Jane knew that Annie couldn’t pass that up.

“Deal, was it just you or was it a team?” Annie says, clearly enjoying herself.

“Me and one other, I’ll even give you both a weapon if you win.” He replies, his superiority complex showing through.

“Alright, let’s get to it J.” Annie says turning to Jane.

“You know this is unfair to him. We are both N7’s and I’m a Spectre.” Jane tells her. She thought that if she said their credentials out loud he might be smart enough to just back down.

“Don’t matter. You still won’t get close to my scores.” Vidinous replies. Jane couldn’t believe how cocky the bastard was being. All Jane could think was, ‘Challenge Accepted’ as she and Annie headed back into the sim.

\--

The last Geth was charging at Annie as she threw it into the air. Both women had run out of ammo long ago and had to take the trooper down with either their fists or Annie’s biotics. Annie was already drained but after the thing came charging again she threw a warp, leaving the thing vulnerable for Jane to smash its head in with her foot.

“Well” Annie says breathlessly, “Let’s go collect our guns.” Annie was already eating an energy bar to regain her strength.

As they were leaving the simulator, Vidinous was waiting along with the Normandy crew, who were a few feet away. “There must be a bug in the system or someone out here helped you cheat. You got lucky humans.” Vidinous started the moment they came into view.

Jane decided to let Annie hand this one since she was the one to get them into it. Jane really didn’t care about this Turian’s ego or about the competition. She came to the simulator to see her team perform not see her and Annie do what they having been doing for the past several years. Yes, this Turian was a pain in the butt and she had accepted the challenge but that doesn’t mean that she wasn’t a little disappointed in what was happening.

“Your scores were good Vidinous, we were just a bit better.” Annie says cutting into Jane’s thoughts. ‘Bit better’ was an understatement. They had practically crushed all of the records that were standing at the station. It wasn’t surprizing to Jane, Annie and she had the highest scores at the Armax Arsenal Arena on the Citadel as well. Annie was in the lead there but that wasn’t surprizing with her biotics and superior hand to hand but Annie was never one to brag. Joke and have friendly competition but never actually brag. When she and Garrus got into the hand to hand skill competition, it was the first time she had seen Annie say she would kick some butt. Yes, it had been with Garrus and yes, it was friendly but still she was bragging about her skills. It wasn’t really shocking, however, to see her trying to placate Vidinous.

“Don’t patronize me! When I find out who did this, heads will roll! Bryant can free to go, I’m out of here.” Vidinous replied as he turned to go but he found himself face to face with one angry looking Krogan and one growling Turian.

“I believe you owe the ladies some guns.” Garrus said. Jane could barely make out the words over how loud his dual vocals were.

“Yes, and I would show some respect if you want to keep breathing.” Wrex added in a tone she only heard when Wrex was trying not to hit someone.

Vidinous visibly swallowed as he turned back to the two women. “Of course, unlike some… I am a man of my word.”

Jane rolled her eyes while Annie looked over the weapon options. Jane trusted Annie to pick out the right ones for both of them so Jane walked over to the rest of the group to start discussing how the other sims world be set up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I loved playing through the simulator in the game, I thought it was a fun side quest so Jane and the others are going to spend sometime having fun there! :) Hope you like it.


	61. Chapter 61 (Kaidan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What!? Posting two days in a row!? Who are you and where did you come from!? :) Just kidding :P I thought I would try and get another chapter out since it was a week between the last two. I hope you enjoy it!!

Kaidan had to admit. Watching Shepard and Jackson go through every simulation had been amazing to watch. He had forgotten that these two used to be a two women team before the Normandy and after watching them destroy the records of everyone before them was impressive. As Jackson was picking out their new guns with Wrex and Garrus watching over the Turian asshole, Shepard came over to the rest of them and explained that they would be going through multiple sims with different leaders to get the team as tight as possible. Everyone was going to be team lead at least once and Kaidan was excited at the prospect of showing not only Shepard and Jackson what he could do but the Admiral as well.

Before the first simulation started, Jackson came over and handed Jane her new assault rifle. “Here, this is better than the one you have now. And look, I have a shiny new shotgun! She will be beautiful once I am done with her. I’ll have the Jacksonator 5000. I think that’s a good name.”

Everyone chuckled at Jackson but she didn’t seem to care. Kaidan like that about her, she was a good soldier and a hell of a chef and she always knew when to joke, she didn’t even have a problem making fun of herself if it meant it would lighten the mood.

Going through the simulations with different leaders had been interesting. Kaidan wasn’t surprised that everyone was able to lead their teams through the simulation with relatively good scores; however, he was surprised that Garrus and Tali were ranked highest after Shepard and Jackson. Kaidan could see that Garrus had potential as a leader but he always seemed too rash to be in that role yet but Kaidan was wrong; the Turian could lead and lead well. Tali, on the other hand, came out of left field; Kaidan had been in one of the simulations where she was in charge and she seemed to flip a switch from the sweet, loving Quarian to leader in a blink of an eye. It was clear she had been watching Shepard and Jackson closely and had learned a lot in the time she had been with them on the Normandy.

Once they were done their last simulation the team gathered to look at the scores, there had been bets placed on who would end up where and so the training simulation went from a training exercise to a competition really quickly. The times came in and sat as follows: In first (by only a few seconds) Shepard, second Jackson, third Vakarian, fourth Tali’Zorah nar Rayya, tied for fifth him and Williams, and lastly tied for seventh T’soni and Wrex.

“Well done everyone. I am quite pleased with how everyone handled themselves out there and I am happy with all of your hard work the past two days. Not only have you proven your stuff to the rest of the crew but to yourselves as well. Now-” Shepard was saying but cut off quickly to stand at attention as the Admiral came up to them. “Admiral.” Kaidan, Ash and Jackson all snapped to attention as well.

“At ease, impressive work in there, Shepard.” The Admiral said the approval in his voice clear.

“Thank you, sir. Is there any other simulation for us to do?” Shepard asks, clearly wanting to run a few more scenarios.

“There’s a special scenario I don’t get to offer to many operatives. I want you to give it a shot. Look, kid… you’ve done will. But I’ve been through a lot worse. And it wasn’t a simulation.” Kaidan could here Jackson shift beside him as she tried not to say something. Everyone on the Normandy had learned about Jackson’s back story eventually but it wasn’t common knowledge to the rest of the Alliance, apparently for some reason her life before enlistment had been extremely classified so the Admiral probably had no idea that he was talking to the wrong person if he wanted to have a contest about who had it worse. “But I could make it one… if you’re interested.”

“Of course, Admiral. We would love to try something more.” Jackson replied for Shepard. It seemed that Shepard wasn’t impressed with what the Admiral had said about her service record and Kaidan couldn’t help agree. He learned early on not to compare service records with anyone because everyone had a mission that they thought was worse than anything anyone else had faced and no one would ever agree that someone had it worse than them.

“Good, now it’s a re-enactment of one of my missions. We held off an ambush of Turian assault troops, back during the Contact War. Just me and a small squad. The programming isn’t finished yet, but it is close enough. You can try if you like. The rules are simple: survive until you’re picked up. If you can. You’ll be ridiculously outnumbered and no real cover to speak of. It’s the ultimate worst case-scenario.” The Admiral said as he paced back and forth in front of them.

Kaidan had heard of a lot of worst case-scenarios from his father growing up. He knew some bad stories from the war and was happy that the war had ended before the damage was irreversible for either side. His father, thankfully, had retired before the First Contact War but he had a lot of friends that fought and died during it. Kaidan remembered some of his father’s friends coming home not quite the same after.

“Could you make it as hard as possible; I want my team to be pushed.” Shepard asked giving the man her hard Commander look.

“You’ve got balls, Shepard. But it’s still just a sim. Even our best VI’s aren’t as good as the real thing.” The Admiral replied giving Shepard a once over.

“You could turn off the safeties.” Jackson suggested. ‘Did she just request what I think she did?’ Kaidan thought as he turned his head slightly to look at her. Her face was a mask of calm, all except the corner of her mouth which she seemed to be fighting with trying to hold back what was more than likely a smirk. ‘Of course she did.’

“No safeties? Highest level of difficulty? You’ll never do it and then I’ll have to explain how a Spectre died on my station.” The Admiral huffed. Kaidan couldn’t believe the lack of faith he had in the team and the Commander he was talking to. Jackson and Shepard literally just broke almost all of the records that they had and he still had no faith in them.

“What do you want to bet?” Jackson asked. And there is the Jackson that they had all come to know and love.

“A wager, Huh? Yeah… okay. I’ve got a nice little retirement place on Intai’sei. I never go there and I don’t plan on retiring any time soon. It’s yours, if you can beat it. And what are you wagering?” Kaidan thought that was obvious.

“Our lives.” Shepard replied apparently thinking along the same lines as him.

“Right. So, you really want the safeties off? If you die, it’s getting logged as user error. I’m not losing my job over this.” The Admiral, Shepard and Jackson continued to discuss detail for what was to happen and Kaidan let his mind wander. If they were serious, this could turn out bad. He knew that Shepard would take Jackson and probably Garrus and Wrex for this fight. That was the most balanced team they had and everyone knew it but if things went wrong… and they did die… that would put Presley as the Commanding officer and Kaidan as XO. That would not be good since they would then not have the ability to continue on the hunt for Saren let alone have to deal with the lose their friends.

Kaidan was quickly brought back to reality when Jackson’s voice came calling them over as Shepard headed to the Tech Officer. “Okay, so after talking to the Admiral it seems that he had 10 men team with him on the ground so lucky for us, we’re all going in. Now we will have three teams, Shepard will have Kaidan and Wrex, Garrus you will take Liara and Tali, and Ash you’re with me. Now-”

“Wait, why not two teams of 4 instead of 3 teams with one team of two?” Kaidan found himself asking. He knew that on the ship that interrupting her like that would’ve been fine; but here, they were surrounded by not only others people but other Alliance members, he was boarding on insubordination with such an action.

“Questioning my orders, Lieutenant?” Jackson asked. Her face was impartial but he could see the smirk pulling at her lips and the glint in her eyes, she wasn’t really mad at the question but she was still his commanding officer.

“No, ma’am, I was just wondering why.” Kaidan said straightening into a formal stance.

“I see. Well we are going to have two main teams lead by Shepard and Garrus that will take the brunt of the assault. Williams and I will be a buffer in between the two groups, going where we are needed most. If things get hairy on both fronts we will can split, one going to help Shepard’s team while the other helps Garrus’s. After what Shepard and I witnessed form the sims earlier we both agree that this is the best plan.” Jackson explained. “Now are there any more questions?”

Tali looked around a bit nervous form Jackson’s switch into Lieutenant-Commander mode but found the courage to speak up. “I have two questions, one why aren’t you leading the other assault and what do you mean by getting hairy?” She asked, quirking her head to the side.

Jackson allowed herself a chuckle before answering, “After seeing what Garrus and you could do earlier we thought that this is a good opportunity to see what you can do in this kind of situation. As for things getting hairy, it is a human saying meaning if things get difficulty, hard or sketchy.”

“Oh… Okay.” Tali sounded a little shocked at the complement but it was deserved, she and Garrus both deserved to get some experience in command. No one liked to talk about it but if things went south in real combat and Shepard and Jackson went down, the rest needed to be able to rely on each other to lead.

\--

The moment the simulation started the teams were flooded by Turians. They had them out numbered 10:1 most of the time and Kaidan was having a hard time not letting his mind wonder to where Jackson and Ash were. He knew that after they took down Saren that either Ash or he would have to transfer, things were getting too complicated for them to be on the ground at the same time and had noticed that Shepard never allowed it any more unless it was an easy mission. He had no idea how Shepard and Garrus managed it but he didn’t have time to think about it now. They had 10 minutes before ‘evac.’ would arrive and he didn’t plan on getting killed in a simulation.

The fight was tough and definitely good training, by the end he had lost count of how many he had ‘killed’ and was starting to feel the strain of over use of his biotics. He was going to have to see Chakwas after this for his migraine.

When the simulation was finally over Liara and Ash had to help Kaidan to the Med-bay, his migraine was so bad that he had nearly passed out when the simulation switched off. He knew there wasn’t much Chakwas could do to help without sedating him but the Med-bay was one of the quietest places on the ship and everyone knew not to bother him when he was in there.

Shepard and Jackson had stopped by to check on him but he assured them that he would fine. He had just over extended a bit and should be fit for duty in a few hours. Chakwas did give him a mild sedative to help him sleep so when he woke with only a mild headache a few hours later he got out of bed and headed to his station. He had worked through worse conditions and mild headaches had basically become a constant in his life. He was just starting to get to work when Shepard’s voice came in over the comm.

_‘Joker, set a course for Virmire. Ground crew, meet me in the comm room in 10 minutes we have a lead.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I haven't had a Kaidan PoV in a while but this one was much easier to write then last time... not sure why. Maybe because it was a much more fun chapter? Oh well, I guess we'll never know :)  
> Oh and as a side note: Virmire is next :O what's going to happen!!!!


	62. Chapter 62 (Annabeth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Broke 100,000 Words!!!! So pumped :)

Jane was pacing back and forth while the rest of the team entered the comm room. Annabeth could tell that something was wrong and immediately went to Jane’s side. “What happened?” Over the past few months the meetings in the comm room had become less formal so Annabeth didn’t feel bad that she wasn’t treating Jane as he commanding officer at the moment.

“Just received a transmission from the Council, they gave us a lead to where Saren might be.” Jane said as everyone was now in the room. Annabeth would have thought that that was a good thing but with Jane pacing, she wasn’t so sure. Jane normally only paced when she was worried or upset so that could only mean that what the Council had told her wasn’t good.

“Then why are you pacing?” Annabeth asked taking the easiest approach to the subject.

“The Council sent an infiltration team out to Virmire to have a look around. The team sent a transmission to the Council; they weren’t able to understand anything that was said but the line was for emergence use only.” Jane replied looking Annabeth in the eyes. Annabeth knew what that meant and it really wasn’t good.

“I see. Joker, what’s our ETA?” Annabeth asked.

 _‘13 hours, I’m pushing the Normandy as much as I can.’_ Joker replied his voice serious. Annabeth didn’t like the sounds of that.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Liara asked looking between Jane and Annabeth who were both wearing their worry on their faces.

Sometimes, Annabeth forgot that some of the people on the team weren’t soldiers so they don’t know what that kind of transmission generally means. Before Annabeth or Jane could say anything Garrus answered. “When you receive a transmission like that it means that they are in one of three scenarios, one they are in an area that they didn’t know was being jammed, but that is highly unlikely if they are a Council infiltration team. Two, they have been discovered and are actively being blocked or three the team had been hit and are bunkered down somewhere and can’t restore communications. These are the mostly likely and if that is the case then time is our biggest enemy. 13 hours is a long time to go without help, you were there in that last simulation, imagen you have to do that but for 12 hours and 50 minutes longer.” Garrus had summed up the situation perfectly. It was being up shit creek without a paddle.

“Keelah! That would be horrible. I hope we make it in time.” Tali said as she covered her face plate with her hands.

“We have to hope we will. Everyone rest up. If it is going to be as bad as I think it is we are going to need to be at full strength.” Jane said and the rest of the team left. Jane and Annabeth shared one last look before going back to their duties; Annabeth had a really bad feeling about this.

\--

They had been right, this was bad. The fight to the camp wasn’t bad but when Joker told them they were grounded and the Salarian Captain would explain once they got there, Annabeth’s stomach dropped.

“Are you in charge here? What’s the situation?” Jane asked as she approached a Salarian who was talking with Kaidan and Ash. Annabeth gave the Salarian a quick once over and could tell that he was tired and frustrated. Apparently see them wasn’t what he had been hoping for.

“I’m Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment STG. You and your Crew just landed in the middle of a hotzone. Every AA gun within 10 miles has been alerted to your presence.” Kirrahe told them. Annabeth could tell from just that one statement that he was a leader and wouldn’t back down easily, she liked him.

“Well, shit. Do you have a plan?” Annabeth said looking into the green skinned Salarian’s eyes. She was happy to see he didn’t back down.

“We stay put until the Council sends the reinforcements we requested.” Kirrahe replied and Annabeth’s stomach dropped even farther.

“We are the reinforcements.” Kaidan said in a tone that reflected what Annabeth was feeling inside. Kirrahe was also disheartened to hear this but moved on to tell them what he knew of the facility so far which was a good sign. “He was using the facility to breed an army of Krogan.” That, was a bad sign.

“How is that possible?” Annabeth heard Wrex ask. ‘Shit!’ She knew that things were about to become a lot more complicated and she was starting to get nervous.

“Apparently, Saren has discovered a cure for the genophage.” Kirrahe replied, apparently not noticing the tension that was just added to the conversation.

“What?” Annabeth said with both shock and disbelieve clear in her voice.

Kirrahe nodded, giving Annabeth a look that she couldn’t quite read. “Yes, with the genophage cured the Krogan will quickly spread across the Galaxy and these Krogan would be loyal to Saren.”

“The Geth are bad enough but a Krogan army… he’d be almost unstoppable.” Jane said and Annabeth nodded her agreement.

“Exactly my thoughts, we must ensure that this facility and its secrets are destroyed.” Kirrahe acknowledged.

“Destroyed? I don’t think so. Our people are dying. This cure could save them.” Wrex said. Annabeth was surprised to see him so calm about the whole situation, talking to the Salarian instead of trying to kill him.

“If that cure leaves this planet, the Krogan will become unstoppable. We can’t make the same mistake again.” Kirrahe said. Annabeth was about to rush forward when Wrex started towards him but Wrex just said, “We are not a mistake” before walking away.

Kirrahe watched him walk away concern written all over his face. “Is he going to be a problem? We already have enough angry Krogan to deal with.”

“I got it.” Annabeth said and walked away from the conversation. Before leaving she sent Jane a look to let her know that no one should try and help, this could get ugly and Annabeth was the only one Wrex wouldn’t kill instantly.

“Dad!” Annabeth yells as she tries to catch up to him.

“This isn’t right, Bug. If there’s a cure for the genophage, we can’t destroy it.” Wrex says, his voice low and dangerous. Annabeth had only ever heard him use that voice when he was on a job or someone threatened her. Annabeth had to admit, this was the first time she had ever been afraid of her father.

“I get it, Dad. I get that you are upset but… Saren is the one we are after. Let’s not forget that he’s the enemy here.” Annabeth started trying to hide the waver that wanted appear in her voice.

“Really form where I stand, Saren created a cure for my people. And their plan is to destroy it, and you agree! Help me out here, Bug. The line between friend and foe is getting a little blurry.” Wrex said coming closer. His voice lost a little of its edge but not much.

“Dad, you know I want your people to have a cure but this isn’t a cure. It’s a weapon, a weapon that if Saren is allowed to use, you won’t be around to reap the benefits. None of us will.” Annabeth pleaded with him.

“These are my people, Bug!” He says, yelling at her. Behind her, Annabeth could hear people approaching and she signaled them to stand down, them coming would make the situation even more dangerous.

“These _aren’t_ your people, Dad! They’re slaves, tools for Saren and his cause. Is that what you want?! Your people to be slaves? Is that the future of the Krogan?” Annabeth asked angrily. “Because that’s not what I thought you meant when you wanted the Krogan people to be strong.” She could see him mulling over her words.

“No. We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the Rachni, they neutered us all. I double Saren will be as generous. Alright, Bug, you’ve made your point. I don’t like it but I trust you and Shepard and I will follow your lead.” Wrex said, the tension leaving his body. The arm that had been reaching for his gun relaxed and Annabeth let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding.

“I love you, Dad. If there is a way to get the cure while we are here we can try but… the mission has to come first.” Annabeth said as she stepped up to her father to give him a gentle headbutt.

Wrex let out a sigh as he gave her a gentle headbutt in return. “I love you too, Bug and I know the mission must come first. I’m sorry that I scared you and I know you want to help my people. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

\--

 _‘Heads up, L-T. We just spotted a troop ship headed to your location.’_ Ash’s voice says over the comms.

 _‘It’s already here, There’s Geth pouring out all over the bomb site.’_ Kaidan replies.

Jane sent a quick look to Annabeth before answering. “Hold on Kaidan. I’m coming back to get you.”

 _‘Negative. There’s just too many of them. I don’t think we can hold them off. I’m activating the bomb.’_ Kaidan replies. Annabeth’s stomach drops for the third time that as she registers how calm his voice is.

“Alenko, what are you doing?!” Jane demands.

_‘I’m just making sure this bomb goes off. No matter what. It’s done, Commander. Go get Williams and get the hell out of here.’_

_‘Screw that!’_ Ash says before Jane or Annabeth can say anything. _‘We can handle ourselves. Go back and get Alenko.’_

Annabeth looks at Jane and they know what they have to do. “Garrus, Liara you’re with Annabeth. Wrex and Tali, with me. Williams, Jackson’s coming to get you. Alenko we’re on our way back.” Jane ordered and the teams split without hesitation.

The fight to Ash and the Salarian team was brutal. The Geth and Krogan in their way were relentless and Annabeth was getting real tired of having to dodge the charging bastards. She wished that Wrex was with them to help take on the Krogan but with him being with J, she had to take them on.

They were getting close; Annabeth could hear the gunfire form the Salarian team. “Ash, status update!” Annabeth yelled into her comm as she dodged next Krogan.

 _‘Taking heavy fire… three of the team are down and out… Augh… four are still up and fighting with minor injuries.’_ Ash’s reply came in sounding as if she was struggling to move.

“We’re coming in hot, let your team know. Just a few more minutes, hold on.” Annabeth ordered. If she was right, Ash was wounded, badly but she didn’t want to say anything encase the others were still listening.

 _‘Aye, Aye ma’am.’_ Ash’s strained voice said and Annabeth knew they had to move.

Within minutes they were joining forces with what was left of the Salarian team and Annabeth quickly ran to Ash who was holding her side. She was covered in blood and it was a miracle that she was even still breathing let alone still throwing grenades and holding a gun.

“Oh my Gods, Ash!!” Annabeth dropped to her knees and started to apply as much medi-gel as she could to try and stop the bleeding. Annabeth had never seen that much blood on someone who was still breathing and she knew that Ash was in a bad way. She could hear the battle around her and could vaguely hear Garrus calling for her but her mind was on Ash and the blood. It wasn’t until Liara dropped to Ash’s other side that Annabeth realized she needed to move.

“Go.” Ash choked out and pushed Annabeth away faintly.

“I got her.” Liara told her as Annabeth looked between the two women and nodded. Annabeth knew that Ash needed Chakwas and the only way that would happen was to clear a path for the Normandy and that, Annabeth could do.

Annabeth ran over to were two of the Salarians were taking cover to help bolster their right side while Garrus was helping with their left. It felt like an entirety until it was clear enough to try and get evac and when it came, Annabeth had to hoist Ash over her shoulder and run. Garrus and the Salarians were providing covering fire while Liara ran ahead to get the elevator ready. Annabeth felt something hit her arm and she knew that she had been shot but she didn’t care, Ash needed her.

Annabeth ran as fast as she could and the moment she set Ash on the Med-bay bed she knew that no matter what, Ash would not be on the Normandy for much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got tense their for a minute with Wrex and Annabeth! Man, who knew what was going to happen. :P But now the question being, will Ash be okay? Will Kaidan?? What will happen next!!!


	63. Chapter 63 (Jane)

Jane felt sorry for Saren; she could hear it in the man’s voice that he really thought he was saving the galaxy. He thought he was scarifying the few for the many but he couldn’t see that he was indoctrinated. She had tried to make him see reason but it was clear that he couldn’t, she didn’t know if it was due to the indoctrination or his belief that he had found a way around it but she knew that Saren didn’t want the Reapers to win. Saren was just a pawn for the Reaper, just like Benezia.

The fight was hard and long and Jane was getting concerned about how much time they had left before the bomb went off. She chanced a look over at Kaidan and that was her mistake. Saren caught her off guard and she fell. She was trying to scrabble to her feet but he was already on top of her. He picked her up with one hand around her throat and started to squeeze. There was a small part of Jane’s mind that was impressed with the strength and calm that Saren had as he fought and she had to admit that if she went down now at least she could respect that it had been a good fight.

Just as she finished that thought the bomb started its final count down, distracting Saren enough for Jane to land a good punch to his jaw. He dropped her but before she could attack again he was leaving on the hover board he had come in on. Jane’s head was spinning but she knew they didn’t have much time. Jane looked over and saw Wrex grabbing Kaidan as Tali ran to her side. The Normandy swooped in and the four had barely made it on board before the ship was soring into the sky.

The lift was ready and waiting for them when they got on board along with Garrus. He strode over to her in two steps to take Jane’s weight form Tali and all of them piled into the elevator, it was then Jane realized something was wrong.

“Where’s Annie?” Jane demanded looking up at Garrus.

“Med-bay, gunshot wound to the arm. She’s fine.” Garrus reassured her but she saw the look he shot at Kaidan and her heart almost stopped.

“And, Ash?” She asked not wanting to know but needing to.

Jane couldn’t hear his subharmonics but she could feel them. “She’s in bad shape. Not sure how bad but… it doesn’t look good.”

Jane could hear Kaidan’s intake of breath and she turned to look at him. His face had paled and she could see him shaking. Unfortunately, he needed the Med-bay as well or she would have ordered him to stay out.

When the doors leading to Med-bay opened, Jane was relieved that Ash had been placed behind a curtain so that Kaidan couldn’t see. Jane moved over to sit on Annie’s bed while Wrex helped Kaidan to the last free bed. Liara was busy running around retrieving whatever Chakwas called for while the others stood out of the way. Both Wrex and Garrus stood by Kaidan keeping him from getting up to go to Ash’s side.

Jane wasn’t sure how long they sat there but no one moved until Chakwas came from around the curtain. She looked exhausted but she quickly moved to Kaidan and started fixing up his wound. Wrex had to hold him down so Chakwas could do her work. She hadn’t told them how Ash was nor did she say anything until she was done with Jane and Annie.

“Well, all things considered you three will be fine in a couple of days. Alenko you will have to stay in the Med-bay overnight but Shepard and Jackson you are free to go.” Chakwas paused before she continued. “Williams, however, is in critical condition but stable for the moment. She needs a hospital, preferably one on the Citadel. I also need to have a look at the Salarians you brought on board. For those of you who are cleared to leave, go. Alenko, I have set up a chair beside William’s bed. You may move there for now if you wish.”

Kaidan nodded his head and Annie and Garrus helped move him there while Jane told the others to head to the comm room. She needed to share what she saw with the rest of the team and Liara my need to see what the beacon on Virmire showed her.

\--

Jane walked up to the Council with her team at her back, except Ash and Kaidan of course. Ash had been taken to Huerta Memorial Hospital and Kaidan had asked to go with her. Jane didn’t see why not. She knew that it would be a few hours before they could get the fleet ready so she told him to be ready to leave at a moments notice.

“Good job, Shepard.” Udina said, bringing her back to the present. “Thanks to you, the Council’s finally taking real action against Saren.” Jane couldn’t help to think that it was about damn time they stepped up.

“The Ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel, as you believe, we will be ready for him.” Councillor Tevos replies.

“Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus Systems.” Councillor Sparatus tells them.

Jane was shocked, they were defending the Citadel, yes but not going after Saren? That seemed stupid but before Jane could voice her thoughts, Annie was already saying just that. “You think a blockade’s going to stop him? He’s…” Jane threw Annie a look and she stopped so that Jane could take over.

“He’s on Ilos looking for the Conduit right now! What are you going to do about that?” Jane demands. It was funny because Jane swore she saw the Councillors shift under her stare.

“Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems, Commander. If we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war.” Councillor Valern told her as if talking to a child. Jane knew that there would be a risk but if they didn’t do anything then they were all doomed.

“Now is the time for discretion, Commander.” Jane could her Annie basically seething behind her at Udina’s words. “Saren’s greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over.”

Jane could understand that a war with the Terminus would not be helpful but someone needed to go after Saren. “One ship going into the Terminus Systems won’t start a war. I can be discreet.” That’s exactly the kind of mission that the Normandy had been built for after all.

“You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire! I wouldn’t call that being discreet!” Sparatus said in a condescending tone.

“Yeah… the STG agents came up with that idea.” Annie said loud enough for everyone to hear but it was ignored.

“Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander. We recognize that. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control.” Tevos tells her.

That was the last straw for Annie’s patience as she stepped forward. “If Saren gets to the Conduit, we’re all fucked! We have to go to Ilos!”

“Commander, do you always allow this type of insubordination!?” Udina demands.

“Yes, when I agree with them full heartedly, I do.” Jane glares at him.

“Ambassador, it seems as if the Commander isn’t willing to let this go.” Sparatus says with an air of arrogance.

“You’re playing with fire, Commander. Humanity’s made great gains thanks to you but now you are becoming more trouble than you’re worth. You’ve done your job, now let me do mine. The Normandy has been locked down. Until further notice, you’re grounded.” Udina tells them before dismissing them.

Jane was angry beyond belief but when she turned and saw that Garrus had a subtle but firm grip on Annie’s arm she decided that they needed to get out of there before Annie shot someone.

\--

The ground team all went to Jane and Annie’s apartment to try and figure out their next move. Annie had been so angry that Jane ordered her to go to her room and meditate to try and easy some of the tension that had built. Jane on the other hand was pacing back and forth while the others sat and talked quietly, which allowed her to think. They had been at the apartment about an hour before Kaidan and Anderson arrived.

“Jane, I came as soon as I could… Where is Annabeth?” Anderson asked as he strode into the room and gave Jane a hug.

“Here. Jane sent me to my room. Apparently, I was cranky and I needed a time out.” Annie said with a small smile as she stepped forward to hug Anderson.

Anderson chuckled before turning back to Jane and a pained look crossed his face. “I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you but there was no way to get a message to you before you docked. I know you’re pissed off right now, but you can’t give up. They all think this is over, but we all know it’s not. You have to go to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit!”

Annie laughed as she eyed up Anderson, “Always the Captain.”

Anderson gave her a smile before looking back at Jane. She knew he was right but how were they to get there. They needed the Normandy. “Dad, we need the Normandy and she’s grounded.”

“They may have locked out the systems but if we override the Ambassador’s orders we can get them to bring the Normandy back online. You could be in the Terminus before anyone knows you’re gone.” Anderson tells her.

Jane thought for a moment before she replied. “If we steal the Normandy, you’re the one who’s left behind to take the blame.” Jane didn’t like that outcome but Anderson had a point when he replied, “And if Saren finds the Conduit, life as we know it is over. The Reapers will destroy us. Humans, Asari, everybody! Your crew are the only ones who can stop it so I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back in the Normandy and off this station.”

Jane stood for a moment deep in thought trying to find a way not to leave Anderson, her father, behind to take the blame but she couldn’t see any other way, someone had to and Anderson had the best chance. She gave a quick look at Annie and could see that she had come to the same conclusion. “Alright, Dad. I won’t forget this.”

Anderson nodded and the group came up with a plan. Anderson was originally going to break into air control but Annie and Garrus quickly talked him out of that option, it was a sure way to get himself locked up or worse killed. And if Miss Wong’s surveillance bug was still in place, it would be hard to deny what he did. They thought for another few minutes when Tali suggested breaking into Udina’s office. That was a much better option. Yes, he could still be locked up but he wouldn’t be shot on site, this was their best option.

\--

“Okay everyone hold on.” Joker said as they were released from the docks. Jane couldn’t wait to have the Citadel behind them. If they got caught before they hit the Rely then what Anderson did was for nothing. She wasn’t about to let her Dad down now.

The moment the ship hit the relay Jane could feel everyone relax behind her but she couldn’t do it herself. All that kept passing through Jane’s mind was how Anderson was going to pay and what would happen when the Council found out they were gone. Would they send someone after them? No, they know where Jane is going and they will probably wait until she came back before dealing with her. She Hoped that when they did return that everyone else would be spared the backlash from her decision.

“Commander, we are away with no signs of pursuit.” Joker said as he turned his chair to face them. She had thought as much but to hear it let her relax, only a minuscule but it was something.

“I don’t think you can call me that anymore, Joker. We did just steal the ship. We are now considered AWOL.” Jane replies somberly. She knew that now they were technically on the run and to be called Commander, well, she didn’t feel like she deserved that title anymore. Apparently, Annie didn’t agree.

“Well, technically we are rogue a Spectre group but the Alliance didn’t ground us so… I think we are still fine with our ranks for now.” Annie said giving Jane a punch to the shoulder. Jane scoffed at her but Jane had to admit it did help calm her a bit more. “Yeah, alright.” Jane conceded. “Joker, open the ships comms.” She knew that everyone on board had volunteered to stay and they deserved a thank you for it. Jane had asked Annie to talk to the crew before they set their plan in motion. She wanted it to be clear to everyone that if they wanted to they could leave with no judgement. What Jane was asking of them wasn’t within their job description and was surprised that everyone had stayed without hesitation.

“Aye, Aye Commander.” Joker tapped a few buttons and stepped up to the comm.

“I want to thank you all for being here. I know that when we started this mission none of us expected that we would have to steal our ship to complete it. However, I am thankful you all stuck to what you believed in. I won’t lie, this fight will be hard and I can’t promise that we will all make it out alive but I am sure as hell going to try. Every one of you is needed to make this mission successful. Not just the ground team but all of you. We’re heading towards Ilos with very little information but I promise you I will do everything I can to see us through. Shepard, out.” Jane finished. She couldn’t help feel as if the weight of the galaxy was on her, and technically it was, but she couldn’t show that to the crew. She needed them to see the Commander right now not the woman so she dismissed the ground team and headed to her cabin.

Jane sat at her desk for god knows how long, it could have been 5 minutes or 5 hours, she wasn’t sure when she heard the door to the cabin open. She was expecting Annie, come to give her some sort of pep talk or slap her, which ever she thought would work. That’s one of the things she loved about Annie, she always knew what she needed. What she didn’t expect, which now that she thought about it was ridiculous, was to have Garrus wrap his arms around her and place his chin on top her head.

“How are you holding up, Shepard?” Garrus asked as he pulled her up form her chair.

Jane turned in his embrace so that she was facing him and circled her arms around his neck. “Honestly? I feel like I let Dad down. I know he volunteered to stay behind but… he’s my Dad.” Jane told him. She didn’t want to voice all of what she was feeling at the moment but that was the big one that she kept coming back to.

Garrus let out a soft soothing rumble as he replied. “Shepard, you know that he wouldn’t want you to feel guilty for his choice. And you and I both know that he is proud of you. I have only seen him a few times and never once talked to him as your partner but anyone could see the pride he has, you can see it in his eyes. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t have the best relationship with his family so don’t take it for granted.”

Jane looked into his beautiful blue eyes and could see that he believed 100% in her and what he said. “Garrus, I… I don’t know what to say but thank you.” She smiled up at him and he gave her a Turian smile in return. “And I know that you told me about your father but I’m sure he is proud of you too. If we survive this maybe you could talk to him, maybe even visit and work out what’s wrong.”

Garrus rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “What is it with you and Annabeth wanting me to try and work out things with my father? You’re worse then Sol and that’s saying something.” Garrus huffed as he let his arms drop from around her.

Jane instantly missed his warmth but understood that she was on the edge of a subject that Garrus didn’t like to talk about. “Garrus, take it from me. I spent a good portion of my life believing that my entire family was dead. I regret not telling my parents that I loved them more often, I regretted not tell Annie that as well. Yes, I was lucky that Anderson took me in and that I eventually found Annie but Garrus,” Jane pauses to place a hand on his right mandible to which he instantly leaned into. “I will never have that chance with my parents ever again. Annie knows this because she went through the same thing. Why do you think we tell each other I love you so much? It’s because we don’t want to take it for granted. We both care about you and we don’t want to see you regret anything.”

Garrus quite for a few minutes while he thought on what Jane had said. Jane was worried that she might have said something wrong but she had to tell him what she truly felt or it would be an injustice to him. She wasn’t sure if he was going to turn and walk away or what but she held eye contact, she wanted to get lost in his eyes as long as he would let her.

As she stared, she though on what she had just said and before she could think about it or stop herself she spoke again. “I love you, Garrus.” Short, simple and to the point, just like her but she wasn’t expecting to say it, well not yet anyway.

Garrus looked down at her, mandibles flared wide in surprise and before Jane could say or do anything his mouth plates crashed into her lips. He kissed her with such passion that Jane almost forgot how to breath. His tongue danced with hers as he pushed her up against the wall, devouring her. When he finally pulled back to allow them to catch their breath, he leaned his forehead to hers and applied press which she returned instantly.

“I love you too, Jane.” He replied once he had gotten enough air. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of his voice saying her name. It was the first time he had ever said it and Jane love it.

It was her turn to pull Garrus into a passionate kiss. Garrus kept her pinned to the wall as he used one hand to start removing her clothes while the other had a good grip on her ass. Jane was not idle while he was working on removing clothes, she to was undoing the clasps that held his clothes together. The two worked fast and were both naked within no time.

Garrus kept her pinned to the wall as he lifted her so that her legs could wrap around his waist. Garrus slowly lowered her down onto his awaiting member and started to rock into her. The pace was rough and fast. Now the time for slow, they could do slow later, now was for the urgency of the moment. Now was for them to be in the moment of their rushed love. Now, was for not saying ‘I love you’ sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awe Garrus and Jane love each other! I'm sure you didn't see that one coming, right? :P


	64. Chapter 64 (Annabeth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! Life got in the way of writing but what can you do? Oh well, I hope you enjoy it!

“Okay everyone hold on.” Joker said as they were released from the docks. Annabeth had never seen him more in his element then right then. He took control of the ship the moment they were released and they were speeding away before anyone could do anything about it. There was chatter over the comms, yelling at them to get back to dock but Joker just turned them off.

The moment they hit the relay everyone visibly relaxed, well almost everyone. Jane was still tense and Annabeth knew that she was worried about what they were about to face, what will happen when they return and what will happen to Anderson. Annabeth had all of these fears but she wanted some way to ease her sister’s mind.

That moment came quicker then she thought, however. “Commander, we are away with no signs of pursuit.” Joker said as he turned his chair to face them.

“I don’t think you can call me that anymore, Joker. We did just steal the ship. We are now considered AWOL.” Jane replies somberly.

“Well, technically we are rogue a Spectre group, the Alliance didn’t ground us so… I think we are still fine with our ranks for now.” Annabeth said giving Jane a love tap on the shoulder.

Jane scoffed but Annabeth saw her relax a bit. “Yeah, alright.” She conceded. “Joker, open the ships comms.”

“Aye, Aye Commander.” Joker tapped a few buttons and Jane’s voice surrounded them.

“I want to thank you all for being here. I know that when we started this mission none of us expected that we would have to steal our ship to complete it. However, I am thankful you all stuck to what you believed in. I won’t lie, this fight will be hard and I can’t promise that we will all make it out alive but I am sure as hell going to try. Everyone one of you is needed to make this mission successful. Not just the ground team but every one of you. We’re heading towards Ilos with very little information but I promise you I will do everything I can to see us through. Shepard, out.” Jane finished her speech and then told the ground team to go get some rest.

Annabeth walked with the rest of the ground team to get the rest they so desperately needed before this fight. When Annabeth walked into the crew quarters, she was hit with how wrong it felt without Ash here with them. Kaidan was standing looking at Ash’s empty bed and she knew that he needed someone to talk to.

“Hey.” Annabeth said as she got up and moved over to him. He didn’t seem to hear her until she placed a hand on his arm and turned him towards her.

“Oh, Jackson. I’m sorry, did you say something?” Kaidan asked. If it wasn’t for the empty look in his eyes she would have laughed. He was the only one other then Chakwas that still called her by her last name.

“How are you holding up? How is Ash?” She asked softly as if talking to a scared animal.

Kaidan’s shoulders dropped. “They say it’s touch and go. They don’t know if they can save her and if they do there will be a lot of physical therapy. Apparently when you moved her to the ship you severed part of her spinal cord.” Annabeth took in a gasp. She hadn’t known it was that bad. How dumb could she have been to not think of moving her in a safer manner, even make a field stretcher but there hadn’t been any time or material. Kaidan had to grab her arm and squeeze a bit to bring her back. “Jackson, it’s not your fault. If you hadn’t moved her and gotten her to Chakwas when you did she would have bled out.”

Annabeth nodded her head. She knew he was right but that didn’t make it better. Annabeth had to shake her head to bring herself back. She was supposed to be comforting him not the other way around. “I’m sorry, Kaidan. If there is anything I can do…” she trailed off.

“Yeah” Kaidan said as he looked her dead in the eyes with a fire she had never seen. “We bring that bastard down!”

Annabeth let out a startled laugh before she replied. “I will try my best.” She gave him a wink and a pat on the arm before she continued. “So, Joker said we have 10 hours before Ilos. That gives us plenty of time for a couple drinks.” She smiled and brought out a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Kaidan’s smile was that of shock and nostalgia.

“Yeah, I like that plan.” He chuckled as Annabeth lead him out of the crew quarters.

“Oh, not only that but I may have gotten some Earth red potatoes, some real cheese curds and…” Annabeth paused for effect, “gravy.” Annabeth saw his eyes go wide as he started to laugh.

“Are you telling me we have the ingredients to make poutine!?” Kaidan asked after he caught his breath. “As in the food of my people?”  
It was Annabeth’s turn to laugh. When they docked on the Citadel, Annabeth had put in the order to have the ingredients and whiskey sent to the Normandy. She knew that no matter what happened, Kaidan would need cheering up and what better way to do that then the comforts of home. “Yes, I did. Now let us make some food while we drink, shall we?”

\--

Kaidan and Annabeth were sitting in the mess sipping on their second glass of whiskey when Garrus walked into the mess. Annabeth was a little shocked, she had thought that he was with Jane where he was supposed to be. Annabeth knew that Jane needed him and had thought that he had followed her but apparently, she had been wrong.

“Garrus! What are you doing?” Annabeth asked a little harsher then she intended. She saw him jump in surprise before walking over and taking a seat.

“I was just checking to make sure the Mako was ready to go. Why? Was I supposed to be somewhere?” He asks looking confused. Man, she loves that Turian but sometimes he is just so stupid she doesn’t know what she is going to do with him.

Annabeth roles her eyes before turning to look at him completely. “Garrus, you know that you are my best friend and that I love you but man you are dumb. In that cabin sits a woman with a bunch on shit running through her head and she needs someone to help her. Now, normally I would go in their and talk sense into her but she doesn’t need that. She needs you. Her boyfriend. She isn’t Commander Shepard right now, she is Jane Shepard and she needs someone to lean on. That someone is you.”

Garrus looked at her for what had to be a solid minute clearly confused. Kaidan tried, but failed at holding in a laugh and shaking his head. “Garrus, I’ll give you some advice. Human women never tell you what is bothering them and they always expect you to just know. Now, I’m not saying it makes sense because it doesn’t but I would listen to Jackson. She knows what she is talking about.” Annabeth gave Kaidan the sink eye at the comment, he wanted to be made at what he said because women do not act like that but she knew that that wasn’t the important part right now.

Garrus seemed to mule that information over while Kaidan grabbed the plates that were now clean of poutine and took them to the sink. “Garrus, go to her.” Annabeth said giving him a slight push.

“But, I don’t know what to say.” Garrus finally says. Annabeth could see the uncertainty in his eyes and could tell that he didn’t want to say or do something to upset Jane more.

“Just walk in there and do what feels natural. Humans and Turians may be different species but you said it yourself. You’re a bad Turian.” She says giving him a wink. Annabeth heard him chuckle and he seemed to relax a little. Before he stood up he took a deep inhale, gave Annabeth a nod then headed to their cabin.

After finishing with the dishes, Kaidan came and sat back down across from Annabeth. Annabeth had just poured their third drink and decided that that would have to be the last of the evening. She still had to check out the armory, which should be in pristine condition since she spent most of the ride back sorting it out along with Captain Kirrahe. Annabeth had a good talk with the Salarian while they checked weapons and cleaned and repaired armor. They talked mostly about weapons and armor mods to begin with but eventually the topic of Virmire came up and he wanted to know how she got Wrex to see reason. That was a long conversation but what was interesting was that Kirrahe seemed to actually listen to her point of view and even though he didn’t necessarily agree, he did respect it.

“Alright L-T, I think that this is enough whiskey for tonight. We have to save some for our victory, right?” She said as she as she collected their glasses. Annabeth could see that some of the worry and stress had washed out of his system.

“Aye, Aye Ma’am.” Kaidan said getting to his feet. “Night, Jackson.”

“Night, Kaidan.” Annabeth replied as she washed their cups and stored away the whiskey. Tomorrow was going to be hell and all Annabeth wanted was to bring justice to the Turian who shot Nihlus in the back. Not only someone Nihlus had knew but his mentor. It wasn’t right and even though he was indoctrinated he still needed to come to terms with his crimes. Yes, tomorrow was going to be a long day.

\--

“That is a lot of Geth.” Annabeth said as she looked out the window at the fleet in front of them.

“Thanks, Captain obvious.” Garrus’s dual toned voice said behind her. Annabeth had to choke down the laugh that tried to break through as she turned and gave Garrus an approving nod. He was picking up on human sayings quite well and she knew that it was mostly her doing.

“Have their sensors picked us up yet?” Jane asked as she walked up to Joker. Annabeth could see the tension all over her body and knew that it was time to get into Alliance mode, as in be Lieutenant-Commander Jackson instead of just Annabeth.

“Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for visual, they won’t have any idea we’re here.” Joker tells them and of course, Annabeth’s mind automatically does the opposite of what she was it was supposed to do. ‘Would Geth ships have windows? Organics have windows to enjoy the view… would synthetics enjoy views? Damn it, Annabeth! Focus.’ She chided herself.

“Picking up some strange readings from the planet’s surface.” Pressly informs them form one of the consoles on the bridge.

“Take us down, Joker. Lock in on the coordinates.” Jane says without hesitation. This is why she was in charge Annabeth thought as gave her sister a quick look. Even though Annabeth was brilliant in her own right, a sound strategist and proficient leader, but she always needed time to think about what to do next. Jane made decisions in seconds where Annabeth needed maybe twice that. Not that she wasn’t quick but Jane was quicker.

“Negative on that, Commander. The nearest landing zone’s two klicks away.” Pressly replies. Two klicks was to far, they needed something closer.

As if reading her mind Kaidan chimes in. “We’ll never make it in time on foot. Get us something closer!” This was a new side of Kaidan, he seemed to be stepping up into his lieutenant shoes for the first time since joining them.

“There is nowhere closer! I’ve looked!” Pressly yells in response. Everyone was feeling the stress and the urgency in the situation and even the level headed Pressly was starting to crack.

“Why not drop us in the Mako?” Annabeth asked. It seemed like a crazy idea but hey, if it worked why not. Annabeth turned to Jane who nodded.

“You need at least a hundred meters of open terrain to pull off a drop like that. The most I can find near Saren is twenty.” Pressly said. Annabeth could hear the others behind her starting to argue about what to do but she was looking at Joker. He had a calculating look on his face and Annabeth leaned in so no one else could hear her.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Annabeth whispered.

“I think I can do it.” He whispered back. Annabeth trusted Joker with her life so when she heard that she decided that everyone needed to hear as well. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that Joker, could you say that a little louder?” She whispered but a little louder this time.

“I can do it.” He said and the arguing behind them stopped.

“Joker?” Jane asked. Annabeth knew that Jane trusted Joker almost as much as she did but Jane needed to make sure. If this went wrong then their hopes of stopping Saren and the Reapers were gone.

“I can do it.” He repeated with even more confidence. Jane looked over at Annabeth and they both nodded their head. This was their best option.

“Gear up and head down to the Mako. Joker… Drop us right on top of that Asshole!” Jane order. Annabeth was a bit surprised at her swear but had to admit that it was appropriate. The rest of the team along with Annabeth were already heading to the Cargo bay when Kaidan spoke up.

“Who all is going down?” He huffed as they got into the elevator. It was Kaidan, Liara, Garrus and herself all shoved in the elevator waiting on pins and needles for doors to open.

Annabeth looked at him for a moment trying to figure out what they would need. Annabeth knew that they could use a bit of everyone’s skills on this mission but they all couldn’t fit in the Mako. Or could they. “Everyone is to gear up. I have a plan, we’ll to see what J thinks before we go through with it but it might just work.” Annabeth tells them. If they could make it work then they would have a great advantage once they hit the ground.

\--

“Right on Joker, good work! I knew you could do it.” Annabeth yells into the comm as the Mako touches down on Ilso. Somehow, Annabeth had been able to convince Jane to let everyone come on this ground mission with them. After a few seating changes and convincing Jane that Garrus would have to drive they had all squished into the Mako and ready to go. Wrex was upfront with Garrus and the humans plus Tali and Laira were all squished into the back but having everyone there would make their work so much easier.  
_‘Thanks, Jackson but that would sound more convincing if I hadn’t heard you scream when you dropped. Joker out.’_ Annabeth wanted to say something clever in return but she knew that now was not the time.

Everyone piled out of the Mako to take a look around. The moment that Saren saw them he had blocked the path so they were unable to follow so now they had to find a way to activate the door.

“Well, there’s no way we’re getting past that with brute force.” Kaidan said beside her. That was an understatement. It would take hours if not days to break down that door.

“Saren found a way to open it. There must be some kind of security override somewhere in this complex.” Garrus said as he looked around. Tali nodded her agreement and apparently Jane thought the same.

“Well, if that’s the case I think we should get a move on.” Annabeth said and everyone moved into two different parties. One led by Annabeth and Tali the other with Jane and Garrus. This was going to be a good fight.

\--

“What is that thing?” Tali asked as the Mako comes to a stop in front of the shimmering curtain.

“It looks like a barrier, kinda like the one you were trapped behind when we found you Liara.” Annabeth says as she steps out of the vehicle.

“Don’t remind me.” Liara says, eyeing the barrier with what looked like contempt.

“Tali, Wrex, Kaidan, stay with the Mako and let us know if anything changes. Liara, Garrus and Annie, you’re with me. Move out.” Jane said as they headed towards what looked like another elevator. Annabeth had to admit that this planet was beautiful and creepy at the same time, if it wasn’t for their mission she would have loved to take a look around. Annabeth shifted and caught site of Liara and could tell that she was thinking along the same lines.

Once the elevator stopped and the group exited they were surprised to find themselves in what looked like a small chamber. The group cautiously made their way into the chamber to the end of the plat form where what looked like a VI was trying to project itself. When they approached, Annabeth was surprised when it talked to them. One because it looked heavily damaged and two it spoke in a way that they could all understand.

“You are not Prothean.” Well duh, Annabeth thought as it continued to speak. “But you are not machine, either. This eventually was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons.” The VI told them as if this was something they should know.

Garrus looked at the controls for a moment but stood before long. “Look like some sort of VI program. Pretty badly damaged. I can’t fix it.” Annabeth had expected as much. How long had this thing been down here? Would it even work the same as VI’s today?

“I do not sense the taint of indoctrination upon any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope.” The VI continued as if Garrus hadn’t said anything. Annabeth was pretty sure that Liara said something but she was in too much shock to really register anything then her awe and exactment. “I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility.” Creepy, Annabeth thought. “I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend. My name is Vigil. You are safe here for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe.” Vigil tells them.

Annabeth couldn’t help feel relief and dread spread over her body at it’s words. They were finally about to get some answers but they were also wasting time that could be used getting to Saren. “Are you some kind of artificial intelligence program?” Annabeth heard Jane ask.

“I am an advanced non-organic analysis system with personality imprints from Ksad Ishan, Chief overseer of the Ilos research facility.” Vigil answered. Annabeth wasn’t quite sure what that meant and could see that the others were just as lost as her. Instead of asking to clarify Jane decided it was bust to just move on. “Why did you bring us here?”

“You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did.” Vigil went on to explain how the Citadel was a trap and what had happened in the time of the Protheans. He explained how the Keepers where more then mindless drones maintaining the Citadel but also creatures waiting for a signal. He explained that the Keepers had missed the signal this time and now the Reapers needed a new plan. He tried to explain what the Protheans had found out about the Reapers and how they had tried to stop the invasion for this cycle. Annabeth followed along but was overwhelmed with the amount of information.

Once Vigil had explained all that he could Garrus grabbed the data file they needed and they headed back to the Mako. Annabeth wasn’t quite sure what to make of all the information that they had just been given but she knew that now was not the time to dwell on it. They had a job to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Annabeth, being silly and not listening... when will you learn! :P


	65. Chapter 65 (Saren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this chapter sucks but I really wanted a Saren PoV. I hope you like it!

Saren landed himself directly inside Sovereign’s docking port and headed to his work space. Even after being with Sovereign for months Saren was still impressed with the size of the Reaper. When he had first stumbled upon Sovereign and later the beacons, Saren knew he had felt similar to Shepard. He could not begrudge her for her fears of what was to come. If Sovereign hadn’t been there to help sort through his thoughts then maybe he would have been helping Shepard. But she was wrong, fighting was not the answer. The only way for anyone to survive the Reaper invasion was to give up the petty freedoms. Yes, he would sacrifice who he had to too make sure that people survived into the next cycle. He would not be like the Protheans.

_But, Shepard is right! I want to stop the war not help bring it to fruition. This is not how to save the Galaxy! I am no long myself. Sovereign has me._

**No, he doesn’t, I am still of sound mind. I am to important for Sovereign to take my mind yet.** The voices in Saren’s mind argue.

 _If I am not indoctrinated then why kill Nihlus? He was the closest thing to family and clan I had! He did not deserve to die._ Saren’s true mind argued back.

 **Yes, he did. If Nihlus had lived then he would be in your way now. He would have turned on you to help Shepard and then you would have had an even harder time trying to accomplish saving the galaxy.** The other voice offered.

Saren could feel both side of himself arguing not knowing which was right. He knew that he wanted to save the galaxy from Reaper destruction but was he doing the right thing? Should he have gone with Shepard to try and find a different way? Was he really safe from indoctrination? He knew that he had a reputation for hating humans but right now Shepard was almost a friend in this darkness. The only one who knew what he knew what was coming but was going down a different path. Was it because of Sovereign or was it due to humanities stubbornness?

Saren didn’t have the answers and the voices keep fighting to gain control inside his head. It wasn’t until the one voice remined him of Sovereign’s offer of upgrades did he move into action again. His other voice screamed to not go through with it but the other assured him it was the only way to beat Shepard and save himself from indoctrination.

\--

Since Sovereign’s upgrades his mind had been more at piece. The one voice had all but disappeared and only talked when something reminded him of Nihlus. He missed Nihlus if he was being honest with himself. Saren wasn’t one to show affection and place trust easily but his protégé had been an exception. When Saren had been asked to look at a few Spectre candidates several years back he was impressed with only two who happened to be from the same squad. Saren was going to recommend both but for some reason the one, Vakarian, dropped his name off the list to Saren’s disappointment. Vakarian showed promise back then and to find him working with Shepard was another blow to Saren when he found out.

Saren was lost in a memory of Nilhus for a few moments but was brought back to reality when he heard a ship in the distance. He turned in time to see the Normandy swoop in and drop its ground vehicle. Saren ordered one of the Geth to seal the doors and hurried on his way. If they were already here then there was no time to lose.

\--

He could hear them, Shepard and her crew, coming up the step to the Council but he didn’t care. Saren was so close to finishing his task and the galaxy could be saved. He could see Sovereign outside waiting for him and Saren was not one to disappoint.

He was just inputting the last of the information when he looked over his shoulder and could see Shepard running towards him. He quickly typed the last of his command and moved quickly to jump down to his awaiting hover board. As he flew back up he threw a grenade to push the group back. He didn’t want to kill them. He needed them to see reason.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t make it in time, Shepard.” Saren said as he lowered his gun. As he did, he took a quick survey of his enemy. He knew that Shepard had left most of her team to cover the stairs to stop any and all Geth that might try and flank them which was smart, practical. He saw that she had three others with her. One human female hiding in cover opposite Shepard, one Krogan hiding farther to the left and Vakarian was hiding off to the right. They were spread far enough apart that Saren would have to keep his guard up in all directions. _Smart Shepard,_ the voice that had all but died said in the back of his mind.

“In time for what?” She called from her hiding spot.

He thought it was obvious. “The final confrontation, I think we both expected it would end like this. You’ve lost. You know that, don’t you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel’s systems. The relay will open and the Reapers will return.” He told her. He needed her to understand how close they were to victory.

“I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.” She replies. **_Awe, yes human cockiness you hated so much._** The dominate voice said; **_tell her of how weak she really is compared to you._**

“You survived our encounter on Virmire but I’ve changed since then, improved. Sovereign has… upgraded me.” He purred out. _I didn’t want it!_ He yelled against the mental wall, _I was forced!_ But it was no use.

“You let sovereign implant you? Are you insane?” The other woman yelled, Jackson or something. _Yes! I was, am… whatever the term. Shepard, stop me!_ He yelled in his head but the other voice drowned him out.

“I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn’t stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me, about indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve. Now my doubts are gone.” _No! They’re not; I just can’t seem to get them out!_ “I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you, too.”

“Sovereign’s controlling you through your implants! Don’t you see that?” Shepard said in reply. _I can see that, I’m trying Shepard! I’m trying!_

“The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined a union of flesh and steel, the strength of both the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life, this is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!” He said as the dominate voice that kept beating out the true voice of Saren.

“Sovereign hasn’t won yet. We can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen!” Shepard tried to reason with him again.

Saren could feel the dominate voice start to lose control. It was mad and its hold on him was shattering. “We can’t stop it, not forever! You saw the visions; you saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful.”

“Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this! Nihlus would want you to fight!” Jackson yelled clearly trying to get through to him.

Saren could feel the dominate voice falter and so he pushed to show his doubts, for Nihlus. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe there is still a chance for… unh!” He could felt the wall shatter. He was free but for how long who knows. “The implants… Sovereign is too strong. I’m sorry; it’s too late for me.” Saren was finally able to say.

He saw both Shepard and Jackson get up from cover and could hear the protests of the Krogan and Vakarian but Saren locked eyes with Jackson. He saw something in those eyes that broke his heart. After everything he had done she still believed he was saveable. “It’s not over yet. You can still redeem yourself! Nihlus would want that!” She yelled still looking directly into his eyes. That’s when he saw it. The pain when she said Nihlus’s name, she had cared for Nihlus and he had betrayed him. Yet for some reason she still believed he could redeem himself. She was right, he could but not in the way she was thinking.

“Goodbye, Jackson. Thank you.” And with that he raised his gun to his head and pulled the trigger. His last thought was of how two human females had saved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Saren is dead. Well that's too bad since he really didn't want the Reapers to win in the end. RIP Saren, hopefully you can meet Nihlus in the after life!


	66. Chapter 66 (Annabeth)

Annabeth had no time to process what had just happened. Saren was dead but they needed they needed to get the arms open to stop the full scale invasion. _Stupid Sovereign and his stupid invasion plans!_ Annabeth thought as Jane and the rest of the crew hurried to the console. As Jane inserted the data file Vigil gave them as the rest of the team came up the stairs.

“Vigil’s data file worked. I’ve got control of all systems.” Jane said triumphantly as she turns to look at the rest of her crew.

“Quick! Open the station’s arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down!” Garrus tells her clearly still high on adrenaline, or whatever the Turian equivalent is.

“See if you can open a communications channel. We need to know what’s happening out there.” Annabeth said as she turned to look at her sister. They would need to know what kind of fleet the Citadel still had before they could do anything.

Jane quickly typed in a few commands and then a voice cut through the silence. _‘… the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline, Kinetic barriers down to 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat the Council is on board.’_  As the voice talked Jane began to pace. Annabeth didn’t like this; if the invasion couldn’t be stopped they would need the Council to have any hope at rallying the galaxy. Yes, they wouldn’t be in this mess if the Council had listened but that didn’t mean they deserved to die.

 _‘Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that’s you, Commander.’_ Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried about the Normandy since they left in the Mako. She had been glad that they had brought the whole ground crew to take on Saren but she had been nervous about leaving no one on the ship. Yes, everyone on the ship had basic training but compared to the ground crew the crew was merely cannon folder.

“I’m here, Joker.” Jane replied, clearly relieved to hear his voice as well.

 _‘We caught that distress call, Commander. I’m sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we’ll send the cavalry in!’_ Joker informed her.

Before anyone could say anything Wrex asked a very loaded question. “Are you willing to sacrifice human lives to save the Council, Shepard? What have they ever done for you?” Annabeth was shocked. Wrex knew that Jane didn’t care about politics and that really it wouldn’t matter if the fleet was Human, Turian, Quarian or whatever, Jane would be weighing the lives of all the people on the Ascension versus the lives that may need to be sacrificed to save it.

“This is bigger than humanity, Sovereign’s a threat to every species in the galaxy!” Liara said in reply.

“The Council must be sacrificed for the greater good. Don’t waste your reinforcements; hold them back until the Citadel arms open up. Save the human fleet to attack Sovereign.” Garrus said to her right which again shocked her. I was ruthless calculus and Annabeth could see that the ground team was clearly torn in two.

Eventually, Jane looked at Annabeth for her input. “J… you know what to do. The Ascension is more than likely filled with civilians. Our job is to protect them. Everyone in the Alliance knew what they were signing on for. But it’s your call; I’ll stand behind you either way.”

 _‘What’s the order, Commander? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?’_ Joker came back over the comm.

Jane gave Annabeth one quick nod before replying. “Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension… no matter the cost.”

Annabeth could tell that Jane was battling with herself on this one. She had really not known what to do and had only taken Annabeth’s advice because she couldn’t make up her mind. This was Annabeth’s call so when Jane doubts herself later, Annabeth will be there to set her straight on who made this call.

\--

“Whatever the Fuck was that thing? It was hard as hell to bring down!” Annabeth said as she put another couple of bullets through the thing that used to be Saren.

She could hear the others around her but she really wanted to make sure that it stayed down this time. That was one fight she didn’t want to have to repeat. As she looked down at it she heard a massive explosion that had everyone turning around just in time to see Sovereign falling to pieces. Annabeth couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face but it soon turned into shock as she saw a piece break off and head straight towards them.

“Go!” Jane yelled and they all took off in a dead sprint trying to out run the disaster behind them.

\--

Annabeth woke to the sounds of coughing and quickly she did a mental rundown of her situation. There was a shooting pain in her left leg and knew immediately that it was broken, _okay not too bad,_ she thought has she continued. Her ribs hurt slightly from the run in with a Geth Prime earlier and her one arm was on fire from where she had been shot but other than that she was in okay condition.

Annabeth sat up slowly and found herself trapped in a little shelter of debris all by herself. As she looked around she tried not to panic as she called out. Thankfully, Garrus and the others were on the other side of some debris and seemed to be okay, having only minor injuries.

“Beth, is Shepard with you?” Garrus called.

“No. She’s not with you?” She asked even though it was a stupid question. _If she was with them then he wouldn’t have asked moron._

“No.” Garrus replied the pain clear in his voice.

They were silence after that for god knows how long before some C-Sec officer found them. Anderson was there too and was quick to see that Jane was not with them. Annabeth’s heart was breaking, if they hadn’t heard from Jane and Anderson hadn’t found her… well Annabeth knew that that wasn’t good.

Anderson grabbed Annabeth around the waist to help support her on her non-broken leg when there was a flash of moment out of the corner of her eye. At first Annabeth thought that she was imagining things but then she saw it again and she heard Garrus’s gasp behind her. Both shared a brief look and when they turned back there was Jane standing on top a pile of rubble with a shit eating grin on her face.

\--

“So, how do you like being a Councillor so far Anderson?” Annabeth asked when he came over to see her. He was in his dress blues along with the rest of the Alliance personal but she could see Udina in the background and could tell that he found the outfit inappropriate for a Councillor.

“I have only been a Councillor for a week, Annabeth. I haven’t really had a chance since we have been mostly busy repairing the damage to the Citadel and getting this Gala put together.” Anderson replied, the annoyance clear in his voice about the Gala that the rest of the Council thought was a great idea.

“Yeah, why not through a Gala, it’s not like there are more important things to do like repairs to the Citadel or prepare for the Reapers or anything.” Annabeth said while looking around the room. The Gala was filled with all of the ‘important’ people on the Citadel, the Normandy crew and some press. Annabeth was happy to see that Miss Wong had gotten an invite on that list but was very disappointed to see Miss Al-Jilani had also somehow made the cut.

Annabeth had somehow gotten cornered by her earlier and the questions that she asked were ridiculous. She started off accusing Jane of making the Council a priority over humanity which Annabeth was able to shoot down without problem but then she started asking questions about their personal lives and one of the questions had her burst out laughing. Miss Al-Jilani had the nerve to ask if Annabeth was dating Wrex! She had not held back then telling Miss Al-Jilani that if she wanted to be a respectable reporter that she should do some research. Luckily she had asked that question first because as she turned away she overheard Al-Jilani talking to her manager about Garrus and Jane. Well that’s one thing she didn’t have to worry about.

“I know, child. I agree that there are more important things to think about but the Council and Udina made a fair point about this boosting moral for the citizens. Seeing the men and women who saved them being treated to a night out.” Anderson replied.

Annabeth could see that he had a point so she agreed to let it go. No need to cause a seen and it’s not like it was Anderson’s fault. After a few more minutes of talking Annabeth excused herself and headed to the washroom. She had been trying as hard as she could to drink as much as possible while staying respectably buzzed and it was now time to ‘break the seal’ so to speak. On her way back to the party she was so busy in thought about what the next steps should be she ran right into Councillor Sparatus.

“Oh, my apologies Councillor. I didn’t see you there.” She said looking into the gray-green eyes of the Turian in fount of her. She had never really looked closely at the Councillor before, mostly because whenever she was near the Council she was ready to slap their faces but now as she looked she couldn’t help but notice his clan markings.

“It’s quite all right, Commander Jackson. I wasn’t really paying attention either. It’s been along week. Congratulations on the promotion.” He said as he studied her. She could tell that he was starting to get uncomfortable under her stare when she realized what it was that made his markings so interesting.

“Um… Thank you… You know… You have the same clan markings as Nihlus.” She said taking in his slightly shocked reaction.

“Yes, I… Nihlus was family.” He said, clearly re-evaluating her. “I’m surprised you noticed. Not many non-Turians would notice such things.”

Annabeth looked down at that, she wasn’t sure if she should reveal why she knew those markings so well but she could hear it in his voice that Nihlus had been close so she decided to be honest. “Many might not but… I spent the better part of two weeks memorizing his face.” She said quietly.

Annabeth felt the Councillor shift his stance and was ready for him to start yelling at her but instead he did something surprising. “Come with me, Jackson.” He said softly. Annabeth followed him to an empty office and was surprised to see it was _his_ office. Apparently after the attack they had gotten to work repair the Council offices first.

Annabeth turned to find the Councillor giving her a strange look that she couldn’t quite put her put her finger on. She knew that she had seen it before but she wasn’t sure when. It wasn’t until he stepped into her personal space that she realized that it was a look of want, a look of need. She had seen it in Garrus’s eyes when he looked at Jane sometimes. Annabeth had to admit she was a little shocked but she didn’t step away. There was something in the way the Councillor moved that told her this wasn’t going to be anything more than a onetime thing. They both needed something from the other, comfort, desire, a way to let go and let Nihlus rest.

It wasn’t the kind of sex that Annabeth had been expecting. It definitely wasn’t loving but it wasn’t rough either. Both seemed to want to please and comfort the other while also relieve the stress that had built up over the course of hunting Saren. Annabeth was amazed that the Councillor was so giving as a lover but had to admit it was nice. After they had finished they shared a look knowing that this is what both of them had needed.

Annabeth left his office after giving him one last look and headed off to rejoin the party. She looked around and found Jane, Garrus, Joker and Liara sitting at their table so she grabbed a drink and headed over to them. The moment she sat down, however, she nearly spit her drink ever where when Garrus spoke.

“Sprits, Beth. You smell like sex.” Garrus said looking at her with his detective eyes.

“What?” Jane asked as she turned to look at her. “Annie… you had sex at a public event… wait… why am I surprised by that?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes at Jane before turning to look at Garrus. “You mean you can smell it? Shit! Dad probably will be able to too then. Fuck. Can you tell who?” She whispered to him.

Garrus looked like he was trying not to laugh as he replied. “No I can’t tell who but if I were to walk around I’m sure I could figure it out. Your sent would be all over him as well. And I would bet good money that Wrex would be able to smell it as well.”

“Well, fuck… well I guess he knew that Turians and Krogan would be able to smell it on us but damn. Did he not understand who my father is…? We are going to have to keep a close eye on Wrex and also keep him away from me until after we leave. We don’t want to cause a scene.” Annabeth said as she had a mini freak out in her mind. She could just picture the headlines in tomorrow’s news, ‘Krogan kills the Turian Councillor for having relations with Human daughter.’ Goddess that would be embarrassing.

“Well… who was it?” Jane asked innocently. “I mean, if we are going to make sure that Wrex doesn’t do something stupid we are going to have to know who to protect.”

Annabeth glared at her sister. She knew that Jane was right; it would make it easier for them to watch out for Sparatus if they knew who to look out for. “This doesn’t leave this table, okay. It could end poorly for a lot of people if this got out.” Annabeth looked at four still sitting at the table. They all nodded in agreement. “It was Cunllor Stus” She mumbled. She knew none of them caught what she said but she also didn’t really want to tell them either.

“I’m sorry Annie but… none of us understood that.” Jane said. Annabeth looked at Jane and she saw that Jane understood that this was something she didn’t want to share. “Annie we won’t say anything.” She assured her.

Annabeth nodded and took a deep breath before finally mustering up the courage to tell them. “Councillor Sparatus. It was Councillor Sparatus.” Annabeth had looked down before she told them so when the group remained silent she had to look up. All four had stunned looks on their faces. Clearly that was not the answer they expected.

“Umm…” Jane said as she tried to process what Annabeth had just told them. “May I ask how this happened? I’m pretty sure the last time you talked to the Council you almost shot them.” Jane finally asked.

Annabeth knew that the only thing to do was to tell them the truth. “Well… I bumped into him on my way back from the washroom and when I did I happened to notice his clan markings…” she said as she looked to Jane. “Yes… and?” Jane asked trying to help Annabeth along.

“Well… I noticed that they were the same as Nihlus’s.” Annabeth said and she could see that Jane knew immediately what that meant.

“Oh… I see.” She said but Garrus was still lost.

“So? What does that have to do with anything?” Garrus asked after it was clear Annabeth wasn’t going to continue.

“Annabeth and Nihlus were kind of a becoming a couple before Eden Prime happened.” Jane told him as Liara nodded in agreement. Joker didn’t seem surprised by the news at all and after looking back on the situation it was probably noticeable to everyone that they were.

Garrus, however, gave Annabeth another look before he said anything. “Nihlus was a friend. We served together before he went off to train under Saren. I didn’t know…” He trailed off. The table was silent for a few minutes before Tali came over to drag the ladies onto the dance floor.

The rest of the night was spent dancing and carefully maneuvering people so that Wrex never got to close to either Annabeth or Sparatus. The two shared a couple of glances throughout the rest of the evening but they both knew that they would never be together again. They knew that if it wasn’t for Nihlus they probably would have killed each other in any normal circumstance so this was a prefect way for them to move on from his death. Nihlus could be at rest at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always thought that Councillor Sparatus was an asshole so I decided that he wouldn't be as big of a dick here. I hope you all are enjoying what I'm writing!! Almost at ME2!! Probably in the next chapter or two!! We will have to see! :)


	67. Chapter 67 (Jane)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to brake this fic into multiple parts so please check the next part for the rest of the story!!! Things were getting to confusing for me so I made a change!! Sorry if this bugs you but I needed to it happen!! Lots of love to all of you who have been reading!!
> 
> Finally into ME2 Hope you enjoy!!

It had been almost a month since Saren’s death and Jane was been sent to clean out any and all Geth presences outside the Vail. Jane and Annie had said goodbye to most of the ground crew by now. Tali had left the week before to go back to the flotilla, Wrex had decided that he was going to go home and try and prepare the Krogan much to Annie’s dismay. Ash was still in the hospital but recovering, she would need about a year to get back on her feet but the outlook was good. Lastly there was Garrus, he was heading back to C-Sec and applying for Spectre training. Jane was proud that Garrus wanted to be a Spectre but was sad to see him go. She had gotten used to having a Turian body heater at night and didn’t know how she was going to sleep without him there.

“Chellick, Bailey, I expect you to look after Garrus while he is here! No slacking off Mister!” Jane said to the three officers in front of her. She could see the amused looks in Chellick and Bailey’s eyes but Garrus looked like he was being told to behave by his mother.

“Aye, Aye, Captain. I’ll keep an eye on him.” Chellick said as he bumped into Garrus’s shoulder.

“You better or not more cooking or baking from me. What would Pallin say if you stopped bring in my cooking? Moral would fall and C-Sec would be in shambles.” Annie joked beside her. Everyone laughed at that. Every time the Normandy had docked Annie had made it a habit of baking goods for the detectives at C-Sec. She provided both Lavo and Dextro baking and to everyone’s surprise it was the Executor who loved it the most. When he found out that it was Annie that was baking everything he requested that she come over and show him how to make the baked goods. She had but apparently he was a terrible baker so he just asked her to keep up the good work and even started to pay her for her snacks so that it was not seen as a bribe. Annie was not sold to start with but then decided that any money she got from baking she would put towards charity since she really didn’t need the credits herself.

“Really you two… you know that I was a detective before I met you, right? I can take care of myself.” Garrus told them, giving them the equivalent of a Turian pout.

“Oh of course you can. We know that you’re a big boy and all but we worry. I mean Dad’s several hundred years old and I still worry so you will just have to suck it up.” Annie said punching him on the shoulder.

Garrus feigned hurt and rubbed his arm. “You wound me, Beth.” He mocked.

Annie laughed. “Well maybe while you’re on the Citadel you can brush up on your hand to hand. Maybe even make it a challenge for me next time.” She winked.

Garrus gave a low growl. “You’re on, Jackson.”

“Glad to hear it, Vakarian.” She smiled.

Jane couldn’t help but smile at the whole ridicules scene. Annie and Garrus were two peas in a pod and she was happy that her to most important people in her life got along.

 _‘Captain, we just got word from flight control. We are cleared to leave in 20 minutes.’_ Joker’s voice said over the comms.

“Well, I guess that’s our cue.” Annie said as she gave Chellick and Bailey quick hugs and then pressed her forehead to Garrus’s. “Be safe, Vakarian.”

“You too, Jackson. Take care of Shepard for me.” He answered softly.

“I’ll do my best.” Annie said before retreating to the airlock.

Jane said a quick goodbye to Bailey and Chellick before pulling Garrus into a hug. They stood in silence for several moments not saying anything. They didn’t need too. Eventually, Jane pulled back and they touched foreheads. “I love you.” Jane told him as she stared into his eyes.

“I love you too, Jane. Be safe. I… I don’t know what I would do without you.” He replied. Jane chuckled and shook her head but never breaking contact.

“Yes you do. You would go and be the best damn Spectre there is.” She said smiling. “But I know what you mean. I don’t know what I would do without you either.” She reached up and gave him a kiss before pulling away.

“I love you.” She said again and as she turned and walked away she heard him repeat it. Yes, she would definitely have problems sleeping without him beside her.

\--

Two weeks, two weeks they been hunting down the remainder of Geth and Jane was getting frustrated. She wanted to be doing something that had to do with preparing for the Reapers not running around as a cleanup crew. She knew that the Council was trying to keep her and her crew away from civilization because then they could keep pretending everything was fine. Jane knew that Anderson was trying to push the Council into action but he was only one vote and with the others not willing to believe her, well there was only so much he could do.

Jane was just finishing up a report when she felt the ship tilt to one side. _What the…_ She thought has she stood up from desk and ran out of her room. The Normandy’s alarms were going off informing her they were under attack. It was a good thing that she had ordered her team to have their armor on at all times while out in the terminus because she had a bad feeling they were going to need it.

An explosion went off somewhere on the ships starboard side and Jane had to move quickly. She grabbed her helmet and headed to the end of the hall of sleeper pods where the emergency beacon was housed. She needed to get to it so it could inform the Alliance and let them know they needed emergency pickup.

The ship kept getting hit from all sides and walking was getting hard but she managed to get to the beacon all the same. She could hear the screams of some of her crew and Jane was trying to block it out. There was nothing she could do for them right now. The ship was in flames and she needed to get everyone still alive to safety.

“Shepard!” She heard Kaidan yell behind her.

She turned to his voice. “Distress beacon is ready of launch.” She said as she finished attaching her helmet.

“Will the Alliance get her in time?” He asked. _Good question._ Jane thought but didn’t voice that concern, she needed Kaidan focused.

“They’ll–” An explosion went off near them knocking both of them back. “Ungh!” She heard Kaidan over the comms and knew that he was still alive so she grabbed a fire extinguisher to try and at least give her crew a bit more time. “The Alliance won’t abandon us. We just need to hold on. Get everyone onto the escape shuttles.” She ordered.

“Joker and Jackson are still in the cockpit. Joker won’t abandon ship. I’m not leaving, either.” Kaidan said. _Damn it, Kaidan._

“I need you to get the crew onto the evac shuttles. I’ll take Joker and Jackson.” She said as she grabbed Kaidan by the arm. She didn’t have time for defiance, he needed to help her.

“Shepard!” He called back.

“Kaidan go, now!” She said in a tone that she knew he wouldn’t argue with.

“Aye, Aye.” He said as he turned and headed to the get the rest of the crew. Jane could see Liara not far away and could see that she was struggling to leave her as well but she knew better then to argue. Jane quickly hit the switch that launched the beacon and then turned to make her way to the bridge.

Jane moved as fast as she could and as she did she could hear the escape shuttles launching from the haul. _Good, one less thing to worry about._ Jane thought as she continued to the stairs. She could hear Joker’s attempt to hail anyone for assistance but Jane knew it would be no use. The ship was lost. She didn’t know how lost, however, until she hit the CIC and space was exposed to her. If it hadn’t been such a dire situation the view would have been spectacular but Jane pushed forward. She could look at the view from the escape shuttle.

As she approached the cockpit she could see Annie yelling at Joker but it wasn’t until she got within the force field that she could hear what she was saying. “Joker, going down with the ship means nothing! The Normandy is lost!” Annie turned to look at Jane and she knew what she had to do.

“Joker, come on.” Jane said with as much force as she could muster at the time.

“Yeah, okay. Help me up... Wait, they’re coming around for another attack.” He said as he was reaching out to Annie.

The ship was hit with another shot from the unknown enemy and that was enough for Jane. Annie grabbed one of Joker’s arms and both heard the snap of his arm. Jane could tell Annie felt bad but they had not time. Annie threw herself into the evac shuttle then turned to grab Joker. Annie got him in his seat before being thrown into her own seat which locked around her. Jane was not so lucky. She was thrown clear of the door and could see that there was no way to get to the pod but she could reach the controls.

She turned and looked at Annie and Joker one last time before hitting the controls. “I’m sorry.” She said and she could her both Joker and Annie scream at her not too. But it was too late. “This is what a big sister is for, Annie.” She told her over the comms. Jane could hear Annie’s sobs and before the line went dead she heard Annie say one last thing. “I love you, J!”

 _I love you too, Annie. I love you too._ Jane thought as another explosion sent her flying into space. As she floated away with the wreckage of the Normandy around her she looked out at the view. It was breathtaking. She stared at it for a long moment before she heard the hiss coming from her suit. She was losing air. She threw her arms above her head, if she could stop it maybe she could live long enough for Alliance back up to get there. It was a slim chance but she wasn’t going to give up.

_I can’t reach it._

Her suit’s interface started its count down.

Ten…

_No!_

Nine…

_Ash better recover._

Eight…

_Both Ash and Kaidan deserves a promotion._

Seven…

_Joker better not blame himself._

Six…

_Dad’s going to be okay, he has Kahlee and Annie._

Five…

_Maybe Liara can find some evidence to convince the Council of the Reapers._

Four…

_I don’t want to die!_

Three…

_Annie, be strong!_

Two…

_Garrus, I love you so much!_

One…

_It really is a nice view._

_..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane!!! What will happen now!? Will Annabeth be alright after this? What's going to happen!? Hehe you'll find out soon!!! ;)


End file.
